-V 









<0 










^o* 










* <y v 









,s Sv V, \ffHfr" v^"* ° l 




* * ^A -0 c ° " • * O -Jj* • v ' • * ^ 






A <^ *..?* .0* % ♦OCT* A 

V 





• I 1 








^ v .•••- ck jy , 









Class- ^u 1-1 — 

Book_ 



T 1 



hM 



/ 



Among Ourselves: 
To A Mother's Memory 



Being a Life Story of Principally 
Seven Generations, 

Especially of the Morris -Trueblood Branch, including not only- 
Descendants of Benoni and Rebecca (Trueblood) Morris, 
but their Relatives and Connections; to all of 
whom, with other Family and Personal 
Friends, it is Affectionately Inscribed, 



BY 

SARAH P. MORRISON 



VOL. I 

Out of North Carolina 



- 



* o J o „ •< > \ 

- ■> > 

> > ' . . I , . . > 



>. O „•». 



' - ' ' ' ■ 

1901 

Publishing Association of Friends, 

plainfield, indiana. 



fTHE U6RAKY OF 
GONG HESS, 
Two Copies Heceiveo 

JAN. 18 1902 

COPYMGHT ENTRY 

CLASS ct XXa No. 

copy a 



i 



^n 4 



\T5l 



w* 



Copyright, 1901, 
By SARAH P. MORRISON. 

All rights reserved. 



c c c 




1 * c « 
c c * • 

( 1 c * 


• 
• « 


< < 


. . . 
t 

t < < 


i c 

c • < 


c 


Press 


OF 






Nicholson Printing 


& Mfg. 


Co 


RICHMOND, 


INDIANA. 








GENERAL PREFACE. 



Once the writer of this Life Story began a Series of 
Family Biography with a rose-colored pencil. The 
undertaking, for some reason, was laid aside, and could 
not now be resumed, as first resolved upon. 

But the pencil, though the gloss it once had is gone 
— either worn off or faded away, while it fails in de- 
picting inky darkness or startling corruscations — has, 
may one believe, a more natural tint, and hues that 
may prove the more enduring. 

The work, then, or failure, as one chooses to regard 
it, is accordingly submitted as it is, and inscribed to 
those whom it most concerns, with the hope that the 
compilation — with what of original design appears — 
may not require a moral appended in accordance with 
any well-worn saying (as, ' 'This is a cow" — "ahorse"), 
respecting early efforts, but to the ingenuous mind 
receiving it, afford some contemplation not altogether 
inane, and with no harm, possibly do a little good. 

Such motives are stimulated by an ardent desire to 
pay a great debt, and especially that rescued memorials 



4 GENERAL PREFACE 

of imperishable lives, from which our own have sprung, 
may still speak to us, diffusing their inimitable aroma 
of reverence, constancy and affection, and memories 
still venerated may, as time rolls on, be still cherished 
and preserved. 

The writer cannot make selections to suit others, 
except according to circumstances, therefore, for gen- 
eral reading, give all in full. Bach one will be likely 
to omit what he does not care for. 



VOL. I 



Out of North Carolina 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA, 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Chapter Page 

I. Morris Generations 9 

II. Home of Olden Times 27 

III. Trueblood Ancestry, etc 42 

IV. A Woman's Will — Benoni and Rebecca — 

Some Comparisons 60 

V. The Resolve — John Woolman 79 

VI. The Exodus — Nathan's Start ..... 94 
VII. 1812, "The Gloomy Year," to 1816 — 

Benoni' s Sojourn and Departure . . . in 

VIII. From 1816 — Nathan's Home 124 

IX. From 1816 — Jimmy's Home — Morgan 

Raid 140 

X. From 18 16 — Benoni's Home — to 1830 . 155 



CHAPTER L 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Our Mythical Ancestry. 

The Morris Family in North Carolina, were de- 
scended from three Welsh brothers who came to this 
country together, and were noted for their industry, 
thrift and other steady habits. Came to North Carolina 
about 1650 (?) * 

As many people now-a-days are so fond of myths 
as to prefer them to genuine history, it is well for the 
satisfying of all tastes that we should have one in our 
Family. And if in our connection there should be a 
person who wishes to believe himself sprung from noth- 
ing, is nothing and shall go back to nothing, we have 
no quarrel with him; but, leaving the first and third 
particulars to be decided by a Wisdom beyond us, settle 
cheerfully into believing the second, even more sin- 
cerely than the disbeliever himself. But we do hope, 
for the credit of the Family, that no one will go back 
for parentage to the lower animals, though doubtless, as 



* Sarah tells this as was told her, but there is no one now 
living she knows of who vouches for the story. She must have 
heard it in childhood from some of those long passed away— 
probably her grandfather. 



10 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

with the rest of mankind , there may be among us some 
resemblance mentally to long ears, mulishness and 
donkey ism. This is not intended to carry a sting with 
it, but to lead us away from folly, if there be any who 
need, back to the beautiful Biblical record," And Adam 
the son of God." Having said so much, the holder of 
the rose-colored pencil breathes the aspiration, May all 
our names be found written in the Book of Life ! 

Since this was written, Elias White*, an Attorney at 
Law, of Philadelphia, who has been visiting his old 
home at Raysville, Ind., hearing in some way of this 
attempted history, made a call upon Sarah, now at 
Richmond, and gave her the information that the 
Morrises, "some of them, " were descended from the 
Moors. (Hail to the "noble" Othello! Still nobler, 
"our connection," the hapless Desdemona!) "Some 
from Africa;" Mr. White looked at Sarah occasionally, 
she thought, as if to see how much she could stand; 
but, though not believing in amalgamation, she 
said within herself, ' ' God made of one blood all na- 
tions " — in another place it says "of one man." 
" Some from France " — " The Morris Dance " Webster 
says " is in imitation of the Moors. " " The rebellion 
of the Moriscoes or Moors ' ' is spoken of in history un- 
der the reign of Philip II: "That they still remain 
scattered in great numbers through their ancient king- 
dom of Granada, and were driven in 1559 to revolt by 
Philip's absurd and bigoted tyranny." f 



* Son of James and dear Jemima. 

t Gregory's (Rev. John M., LL. D.) Hand Book of History, 
published by Adams, Blackmer & Lyon, Chicago. A. S. Barnes 
& Company, New York. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 11 

Mr. White also said the Friends were 
driven out of Virginia to Carolina by per- 
Current secution ; that in those early times Vir- 
Events: ginia was always intolerant of Friends, the 

established church bringing the charge of 
blasphemy against them on account of their 
not conforming to their usage. 
Charles Sec- There was no worse sin in the days of 
ond's Act of the Charleses, as well as of many other 
ipfto° rmi y ' potentates of higher and lower degrees at 
different stages in the world's progress 
since, as well as before, than that of non- 
conformity. In a line with this, Mr. White 
Test Act, sa i(i the early minutes of North Carolina 

1 (\T\ 

show that they in their turn debarred the 
other branch of Friends — Hicksites as they 
are commonly called, though they them- 
Habeas selves never use nor have acknowledged the 

Corpus, 1679. name — from holding meetings in their 
meeting houses for all time to come. 

There have never been divisions in North Carolina * 
Mr. White and I can both testify to the simplicity and 
integrity of their faith there. The command is to con- 
tend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints,, 
"Once for all," the new version has it, but still in, 
sweet charity, i. e. love. 



12 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 



GENERATIONS. 



Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have 
set. -Prov. 22 : 28 . 

Morris Family. 

The record of the Morris Family, as furnished by 
Joseph Morris*, who had it from M. M. White, is as 
follows : 

"Jno Morris was born ye 3rd day of ye 3rd month, 
1680. He married Mary Symonds, daughter of Thomas 
and Rebecca White Symonds. Both Jno Morris and 
his wife were members of Little River Meeting, Pas- 
quotank, Albemarle, North Carolina. Jno Morris de- 
parted this life ye 20th of ye 9th month, in ye year 
1739; he being an elder of our meeting pretty well ac- 
counted of, and in the 60th year of his age. Mary 
Symon(d)s Morris was born ye 4th of ye 12th month, 
1687. She departed this life ye 14th of ye 8th month, 
1745. She was about the age of 58 years, wife of the 
above named Jno Morris. She being the daughter of 
Thomas and Rebecca Symonds. (Copied from old 
records of Little River monthly meeting, North Caro- 
lina.) Their children, Aaron, Bettie, Sarah, Joseph, 
John, Mary, Zachariah and Hannah. 

"Aaron, son of Jno and Mary (Symonds) was 
born 7th month 14th, 1704, and died 9th month 10th, 
1770. He married Mary Pritchard, a member of the 

* Joseph Morris (since deceased), his wife— one of Sarah's 
dearest friends — and their gifted daughter are valued members 
of Western Yearly Meeting. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 13 

Syinond Creek Monthly Meeting, held at Pasquotank, 
6th month, 1724. She was born 7th month 28th, 1707, 
and died 12th month 10th day, 1791, aged 85 years. 
Their children, Joshua, Benjamin, Joseph, Miriam, 
Susannah, John, Mary, Sarah, Aaron, Elizabeth. 

"Joshua Morris, son of Aaron and Mary Morris, was 
born 4th month 6th, 1726, died 2nd month 17th, 1777. 
He married first, Hannah Anderson ; their- children, 
Mordicai and darker. Second, Huldah Newby. Ben- 
jamin Morris, son of the second wife, was born ye 26th 
of ye 5th month, 1754. Mordicai Morris, Sr., son of 
Joshua and Hannah (Anderson) Morris, was born 3rd 
month 14th, 1749; died nth month 3^,1831, aged nearly 
83 years. Mordicai, Jr., their third son, was born 1st 
month 17th, 1782, married Martha Winslow at Suttons 
Creek, 12th month, 1806 ; this couple were the grand- 
parents of M. M. White, of Cincinnati, to whom I am 
indebted for this record." 

I,et us be sure to remember our ancestor John 
Morris, he and his wife, members of L,ittle River Meet- 
ing, with their goodly family of eight children. And 
especially because the old chronicles make the record 
of his death in this wise, ' ' he being an elder of our 
meeting pretty well accounted of." Ah, that is matter 
indeed for praise. Aaron, their oldest son, also will be 
referred to in a chapter farther on, and others in the 
line of descent as occasion requires. 



14 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 



Current 
Events : 



Family of Mordicai Morris, Sr. 

Mordicai Morris, Sr. , born 3-14-1749 ; 
died 11-3-1831 ; aged nearly 83 years; 
son of Joshua Morris and his wife, Ab- 
igail Overman, born 1751, died 12-30- 
1806 ; daughter of Nathan Overman 
and his wife, were married 4-28-1773. 



1789 

Washington 

President. 



1797 

John 

Adams. 



1800 
Union 
between 
England and 
Ireland. 



CHILDREN. BORN. DIED. AGED. 

Joshua, 1-13-1774 10-24-1811 37 yrs. 

Nathan, 4-29-1776 1-16-1836 60 yrs. 

Mary, 1-6-1778 

Thomas, 1-4- 1780 3-30- 18 17 37 yrs. 

'•'Mordicai, Jr. 2-22-1782 

fBenoni, 10-30-1784 8-10-1871 86 yrs. 

Anderson, 2-22-1787 

Abigail, 5-11-1790 

Jno. Griffith, 9-7-1794 9-22-1794 infant. 

Hannah, 5-23-1796 9- 12- 1796 infant: 

Joshua married Margaret Henly, 4-28- 
1776. 

Thomas married 1st, Sarah Jordan ; 2nd, 
Ann Henly, 4-30-1807. 

Mordicai, Jr. married 1st, Martha Wins- 
low, 12th month, 1806; 2nd, Millicent 
Morgan, 10-19-1808. 

Anderson, Mary. 

Abigail married Benjamin Pritchard, 
6-2-1808. 



* M. M. White's grandfather. 
t Our grandfather. 




BENONI MORRIS ("Grandpa"), Aged 82. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 15 

Benoni married Rebecca Trueblood, 1811. 
^Margaret Henly and Ann, who married 
Joshua and Thomas, were sisters to 
Mary, who married Joshua, father of 
James Trueblood, Rebecca's half broth- 
James er - Anderson married early, before 
Madison Benoni. Benjamin Pritchard survived 
1809. Abigail, removed to Indiana and mar- 
ried a second time, Milly, sister of 
Samuel White, of Raysville, Indiana. 
- "A large woman, familiarly called 
Aunt Milly," both lived, died and were 
buried at Blue River. 



Robert Morris' Letter to Sarah. 

Salem, Indiana, December 17th, 1898. 

Dear Sarah — I received your letter today, and 
what I know with regard to what you want to know, 
will, I fear, be of little use. The less a person knows 
the shorter time it ought to take to tell it. 

Grandfather Morris, from what my father told me, 
was a strict member of church (of the Quaker per- 
suasion), and occupied a high seat facing the audi- 
ence. He continued a member, in high standing, to 
the day of his death. There were, if I mistake not, 
six boys and two girls. Father next youngest ; And- 
erson, I believe, was the youngest. The boys were 
rugged, resolute, sturdy kind of fellows, great work- 
ers, Uncle Mordicai in particular. Their clothes were 

* All this additional information has been gathered from 
E. Hicks Trueblood and Robert Morris. 



16 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

made of home grown flax, broke, swingled, spun, 
woven and made — shirts, breeches and buttons, all at 
home. One suit a year or longer. Their hats were 
made of wool, white, stiff rim, and round crown to fit 
the head ; purchased at Norfolk, when grandfather 
made his annual trip to lay in a supply of sugar, molas- 
ses, and never-forgotten and indespensable hogshead of 
rum, with such paraphernalia as would be needed until 
the next yearly trip. 

My father's pride dictated a little finer hat would 
be more becoming. And when the old gentleman de- 
manded the amount of money the hats w r ould cost from 
each of the boys, all readily advanced the required 
cash except father, although he could offer no good 
reason for refusing, his father accusing him of being 
the stingiest boy within his knowledge. Father made 
arrangements with his brother, Anderson (who was 
married and intended going subsequently to Norfolk), 
to get him a silk hat that would cost more than double 
one of the other boys' hats. After receiving it the 
great trouble then was how to introduce it to his 
father. After due deliberation he finally thought he 
had probed the difficulty. When the time arrived for 
going to meeting (they didn't call it going to church 
then), grandfather said, "Come boys." Father hap- 
pened not to be ready. Then his father accused him 
of always being hehind ; ' ' Come on boys, we will not 
wait for Benoni." Father took no offense at this. 
After they were out of sight he proudly donned the 
hat, and with elastic step, was soon sitting in front of 
the astonished, pious old gentleman (the custom 
among Friends, young and old, in those days, was to 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 17 

sit with hats on), thus giving plenty of time for angry 
passions to subside and reconciliation to be established 
ere an opportunity was afforded for explanation. The 
next trouble on hand, after ice had been broken, the 
other boys wanted silk hats. " Rip Van Winkle," by 
Joe Jefferson, wouldn't be a circumstance toward 
drawing a crowd compared with such characters as 
those boys, if at this date could be such to act out 
their regular course of action and living. 

Corn gathering, they were out in the field before 
the dew was off (not so much frost there as here), and 
those homespun pants would be wet from bottom to 
knit suspender supports, and Uncle Mordicai said that 
of a morning they would stand alone, having thor- 
oughly dried, without starch, clothesline, or any extra 
washing. 

[The remaining subjects of the letter are reserved 
for later periods to which they more appropriately 
belong. He concludes with :] 

Now I do not see what I have written can be of 
much help in what you want. Eliminate what you do 
not wish. Enclosed find marriage certificate. Please 
return when done with it. Sister Jo could give you 
more items than I. 

P. S. — I am glad you were thoughtful enough to 
send a postage stamp. They come all the way from 
Washington city. Indianapolis [where Sarah then 
was] is so much nearer ! [Southern breed do not 
closely count pennies, especially among relations.] 



IS OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Letter of M. M. White, President Fourth 

National Bank. 

Cincinnati, Ohio, February 9, 1899. 

My Dear Cousin Sarah — Your letter of 6th, to 
hand and contents noted. In relation to the Morris 
Family, in North Carolina, I have scraps of- our an- 
cestry not at hand, or in shape to be entirely reliable. 
I cannot go farther back than the father of our great 
grandfather, whose name was Aaron Morris. So far 
as I know our ancestors were all planters and in no 
way professionals. They were all in comfortable cir- 
cumstances and possessed of good homes and large 
farmes and all lived in Pasquotank County, which 
borders on the Albemarle Sound. Our great grand- 
father, Mordicai Morris, had a very large plantation 
and had quite a number of children ; those I can recall 
were Joshua, Mordicai, Benoni and John Anderson. 
Your grandfather was possessed of a great desire to 
read and study [* A great reader and historian] and 
did not please his father, who wished him to follow 
after him, and in course of time, he left North Carolina 
and settled in Salem, with some means, as his father 
did not cut him off. My grandfather and other broth- 
ers remained and he finally became possessed of most 
of the plantation [f He was a favorite and stayed there] , 
near 2000 acres, and died in 1841, leaving no children, 
but two grandchildren, myself and brother [J Morris 
and Frank were quite young when their mother died] . 
So far as I am informed and from what father used to 



* t X These comments were made by "Aunt Joanna" as 
Sarah read the letter to her. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 19 

say, Uncle Benoni was the most talented and far the 
superior in intellect of any of the family. He went to 
North Carolina to visit grandfather (Morris) to prevail 
upon him to free his slaves and succeeded in getting 
his promise to do so, but did not live long afterwards 
to accomplish the same. 

I might write much more in this rambling way, 
but it may not be the kind sought for. 

With kind regards to you and your sisters, I am 

very truly your attached cousin, 

M. M. White. 

Copy from Robert Morris' Letter, Feb. 22, 1899. 

" I notice that Morris says as far as he knows our an- 
cestry were all planters. They were planters, that is 
true, but not such as that term is usually applied 
(raising cotton). They were wonderful growers of 
corn, and that productive, inexhaustible, naturally rich 
alluvial soil enabled them successively to raise corn in 
the same fields year after year. If the lower part of 
North Carolina had onl3 T been healthy, we perhaps 
would have been natives of "Old North," instead of 
Hoosiers. I thought it was a beautiful country, 
especially in the winter. The green forests, the beauti- 
ful rivers, with the finest eating fish in the known 
world, Potomac Shad, and a bushel of oysters in the 
shell for a bushel of corn. ' ' 



History of the Morris Family. 

(Extracts from the Genealogy Book of Eli Morris. — Copied by 

his permission.) 

The Morris' are of direct Welsh descent ; the name 
is variously spelled, and is composed of the Welsh 



20 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

words Mawr-rwyce, meaning " Strong or brave in bat- 
tle." The earliest arrival of those bearing the name 
(yet found) is as follows : From the muster of the 
inhabitants of the College lands in Virginia, Elizabeth 
Cittie, Capt. William Tucker master. 

John Morris, aged 24, in the ship Bona Mona, No- 
vember, 1 6 19. 

February 16, 1623, then living in Virginia. 

John Morris. 

The underwritten names are to be transported to 
Virginia, embarked in the David from ye port of Lon- 
don, 1635, John Morris, aged 26th. 

It is more than probable that one of the above John 
Morris' was the grandfather of the John Morris, born 
Third mo. 3d, 1680, who, at this date, 1893, heads the 
line of the North Carolina Family bearing the name. 

Henry White, a slaveholder, who owned large tracts 
of valuable land, as shown by Records in the Land 
Office, Richmond, Va. (Book 1, page 240), resided 
in James City Co., Virginia. He had, besides other 
children, Henry, Jr., Arnold and Rebecca. These, 
with Thomas Symons, Zachariah Nixon and the Thorns 
removed and settled in Pasquotank Precinct, Albemarle 
Co., North Carolina, about 1663 to 1665, owing to 
persecution of those, other than the Church of England, J 
in Virginia, and the large grants of lands offered in the 
Carolinas, together with full and free liberty of con- 
science granted to all, so that no man is to be molested 
or called in question for matters of religious concern, 
but everyone is to be obedient to the civil government, 
" Worshiping God after their own way." 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 21 

Thomas Symons married Rebecca White, and from 
their daughter, Mary, who married John Morris, de- 
scended the numerous Southern branch of the Morris 
Family. This branch is far older than the Pennsylvania 
branch, of which we have no record at the present time. 

The Southern Morris family have a good Friends' 
Record from the earliest date, which was from the visit 
of William Edmonson, a minister, who came to Amer- 
ica with George Fox, and found his way to Perquimons 
and Pasquotank counties, and held meetings as early 
as Sept., 1 67 1. 

Henry White, Thomas and Rebecca Symons and 
others were all probably converted under his ministry 
at this time. 

Both John Morris and his wife were members 
of Little River Meeting, Pasquotank Mo. Meeting, 
Albemarle Co., North Carolina. This meeting was 
held at the houses of Francis Thorns and Henry 
White, Jr., for over twenty-five years, as a meeting- 
house was not built until 1703. John Morris departed 
this life, etc. 

Copied from records of Little River Monthly Meet- 
ing of Friends, North Carolina [previously given by 
Sarah] . 

William Edmonson's journal gives a very interest- 
ing account of his 1st visit to Friends in Albemarle 
Co., Carolina, in 1671 — also in 1677. — " Extracts from 
old records." 

"Our friend and brother, Zachariah Nixon (and 
son of the same, who went into North Carolina about 
1663 to 65), departed this life the third day of the 
1 2th month, 1691, in the evening, as the sun went 



22 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

down, and continued his testimony for God's truth to 
his end, and is now kept with the faithful, where is 
satisfaction for ever more. ' ' 

(Written by one Henry White, " From the journal of Thomas 
Story, 1st Month 9th, 1699.") 

"In the evening we went over Little River and lodged 
that night with our friend, Thomas Symons (married 
Rebecca White, sister of the Henry above), and next 
day had a meeting over the creek at our friend, Henry 
White's, which was small by reason of the court, which 
usually holds several days. On the 13th we had a pretty 
large meeting, where several were tendered, among 
them several negroes. Thomas Symons having several 
negroes — one of them, as also several belonging to Henry 
White — had of late come to meetings, and having a sense 
of truth, are likely to do well." 

(From the Records of Friends' Meeting at Pasquotank, we 

copy the following : ) 

" Margaret Trueblood departed this life the 13th 
of nth month, 1829, at Exum Outland's, in North- 
ampton Co., on her way from the Yearly Meeting, 
held at New Garden, in Guilford county. Also, Thomas 
Trueblood departed this life the 19th of the 1 ith month, 
1829, at David White's, in Perquimons county, on his 
way from the Yearly Meeting, held at New Garden, in 
Guilford Co. ' ' 

According to the early accounts, the Morris family 
were inhabitants of the eastern part of North Carolina, 
either in Perquimons or Pasquotank Cos. It is. sup- 
posed that a portion of them removed to the interior 
of the State, and from thence to Indiana about the year 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 23 

1816 or 18 17. Some came to Wayne county and set- 
tled near Milton, others of the family came to Washing- 
ton county and settled near Salem. Their descendants 
are very numerous in the State of Indiana. 

(By permission of Eli Morris. — Extracted from Burke's Landed 
Gentry of England and Ireland.; 

The name of Morris is variously spelt : Morres, 
Moris, Morris, Morice, Morrice, Maurice, etc. It is 
composed of the Welsh words, Mawr-rvvyce — in En- 
glish, " Warlike ; Powerful in war." To this, one of 
the mottoes borne by the present family of Morris 
seems to have reference : ' ' Marte et Mara faventibus ." 
The family claims descent from Elystan Godrydd, a 
powerful British chieftain, founder of the fourth royal 
tribe of Wales, born in 933. From him, and others of 
his descendants, spring the noble houses of Cadogan, 
the Pryces of Newton Barons, as well the families of 
Morice of Werrington (now extinct), Morrice of Bet- 
shanger, Morris of the Hurst, Morris of Pentramant, 
lyloyd of Ferney Hall, etc. 

Morris of the Hurst. 

John Morris, Alderman of Culn in 1587 ; son of 
Morris of David, who was descended from Hoedliw 
ap Cadwgan ap Elystan (Eord of Builth and Radnor), 
m. Margaret, daughter of Cadwalader ap Owen ap 
Johns ap Madoc Eloyd of Berstock, and had, with other 
issue, a son, Robert Morris, who had two sons, Thomas 
and Anthony. 

Arms. Arg. : An Eagle, Displayed, with two heads; Sa. 
Crest : An Eagle, Displayed ; Sa. 
Seat: The Hurst, near Shrewsbury. 



24 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

The chapter concludes with a 

Specimen or Copy of a Marriage Certificate, 
Among Friends in Early Days. 

Whereas, Mordicai Morris and Millicent Morgan, 
both of the County of Pasquotank, and State of North 
Carolina, having publickly signified their intentions of 
marriage with each other before several Monthly 
Meetings of Friends in the County aforesaid, according 
to the good order used amongst them, whose proceed- 
ings therein were approved of by said meetings, they 
having consent of relations ; 

Now, These are to certify those whom it may 
concern, that for the full accomplishing their said in- 
tentions, this nineteenth day of the tenth month, one 
thousand eight hundred and eight, they, the said Mor- 
dicai Morris and Millicent Morgan, appeared in a 
public assembly of the aforesaid people met together 
for divine worship, at their public meeting house, at 
Little River, in Pasquotank County, and State of 
North Carolina, then and there in the said assembly, 
the said Mordicai Morris, taking the said Millicent 
Morgan by the hand, did declare as followeth : 
"Friends, you are my witnesses that I take this my 
friend, Millicent Morgan, to be my wife, promising, 
through divine assistance, to be to her a true and lov- 
ing husband, until death separate us (or words to that 
effect). 

And then and there in the like manner, the said 
Millicent Morgan, did declare as followeth : " Friends, 
you are my witnesses that I take this my friend, Mor- 
dicai Morris, to be my husband, promising, through 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 25 

divine assistance, to be to him a true and loving wife 
until death separate us (or words to that effect). 

And moreover, they, the said Mordicai Morris and 
Millicent, his now wife, she according to the custom of 
marriage assuming the name of her husband, as a 
further confirmation thereof, did then and there, to 
these present, set their hands, and we whose names are 
hereunto subscribed, being present among others at the 
solemnization of the said marriage and subscription, 
here as witnesses hereunto also subscribed our names 
the day and year above written. 

Mordicai Morris, 

HER 

Millicent X Morris. 

MARK. 

Benjamin Morgan, Margaret Morgan, 

Mary Morgan, George Bundy, 

Phas. Nixon, Jehosaphat Morris, 

Josiah Bundy, John Bundy, Jr., 

Lancelott Bell, Nathan Symons, 

Jesse Symons, Mordicai Morris, Jr., 

Nathan Morris, Reuben Overman, 

Tom Woody, Thomas Morris, 

Ann Morris, Anderson Morris, 

Toms White, Mary Albertson, 

John Bell, Martha Griffin, 

Josiah Bundy, Aaron Morris, 

Nathan Bundy, Ruth Bundy. 



The paper upon which this important document is 
written is just about the size of a sheet of foolscap 
opened. It is in a pretty good state of preservation . 
Has strips of white tissue paper pasted along the back 



26 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

of the folds, but is yellowed and brown with age and 
exposure. It is firm, may indeed be parchment, hav- 
ing a grained surface running perpendicular to the 
writing. It is folded to go in a long envelope, i. e. 
four times. 
On the back it has — 

''Mordicai Morris and Millicent's Marriage Certificate. 
Recorded in Book No. 2, page 266." 

Within, in a larger hand, again, 

"Recorded in Book No. 2, page 266." 
And again, 

"Mordicai Morris and Millicent's Marriage Certificate. 
Recorded in Book No. 2, page 266." 

Within it is written across the longest way, the 
writing occupies most of the sheet, the second column 
of names reaching to the bottom. 



CHAPTER II. 



An Ideal Home of Olden Time, and Continua- 
tion of Morris History. 



There is a knot tied for you ! No marrying in haste 
to repent at leisure, so far as the order of Friends was 
concerned. What would they have thought of the 
divorce laws of a certain loved State? What of the 
moral irregularities which compel, both in Church and 
State, a seeking for uniformity in divorce ? What of 
a Mormon State, and Representative in Congress, 
though polygamy according to law, now done away 
with? These Friends of olden time lived in happy 
ignorance of these things to come. Poor little Milli- 
cent could not write ! One would think she might 
have learned in all that time while she was getting 
married ; but it was no disgrace, or doubtless she 
would have. Perhaps she waited for her husband to 
teach her : that were a pretty sight ! She does not 
know her failure, if such it was, to embrace an oppor- 
tunity of thus. adding to her store of ability, would be 
a source of astonishment, possibly regret, on the part 
of some of her descendants. How her eyes would 
have opened could she have looked forward to this 
day, when girls, as a matter of course, vie with young 
men in carrying off college honors, and women, young 
and old, are not only entering but competing in almost 
every known profession. 



28 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

There was not then needed a J. Freeman Clark to 
raise a warning voice respecting Sex in Education, 
a book written when colleges, real, for women began 
to be ; nor for a friend to say, as one to a mother of a 
young girl about going to New England to a famed 
school, " Do not let her go ; it will spoil her beauty." 
While high-born ladies of the manor were enhancing 
their charms by seeking where the magical " May dew 
was weeping," more rustic maids, in the natural course 
of their vocations, were of necessity early risers. 
Especially in the South everything to be done, nearly, 
called for the early morning. "Rising early," 
"Before it was yet day," are frequent Bible expres- 
sions indicative of the habit of an Oriental people, 
who must rise betimes to accomplish as much as possi- 
ble of what they have in hand before the heat of the 
day. And so in the nearer rural South ; to the ques- 
tion, "At what time do you rise?" the reply was, in 
North Carolina, " Not very early, sometimes not until 
a little before five ! ' ' Prior to the more recent years of 
this history, turning night into day with consequent 
late morning hours, in the simple annals here recorded 
was scarcely heard of. Franklin's rule in Poor 
Richard's Almanac, I believe, 

" Early to bed and early to rise 
Will make you healthy, wealthy and wise," 

was an almost universal, matter-of-course practice, giv- 
ing the first result, to youth at least, in freshness of 
bloom to be imitated by no earthly art, attained by no 
assiduity of manual appliances. Then, though it is a 
trite remark, there was not the rush nor the glare nor 
the intentness of modern life ; equally, there was less 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 29 

to turn aside and distract, producing wear and tear 
of the human constitution, resulting in premature 

- 

wrinkles, faded complexion and jaded look. Their 
exercise was, in large part, a means to some domestic 
end ; with the men, for livelihood, about the farm or 
plantation as they may have said, or whatever business 
they were engaged in, as milling or trade, and by sea 
or land, for these lived for the most part bordering on 
Albemarle Sound. 

The modes of exercise for pleasure were fewer, 
more rational. As horse-back riding : it was exhilara- 
tion, freedom, a delightful source of social intercourse. 
Carriage and other driving were also sources of enjoy- 
ment and necessary means of conveyance to meetings 
and from place to place ; walking, strolling under the 
trees, sitting on the long Southern verandas, also 
afforded fresh air and society. There must also have 
been boating and excursions by river and sea. There 
was a sensible, not too tender, care of the body. They 
got tired and rested. They followed nature, who in 
turn followed them. They were truer to instinct and 
intuitions. 

And so of the relations of man and woman. If 
there was generally more — and there was — of passion, 
there was less of lust. There were innocent coquetries : 
the sweet plum was not to drop into the mouth for 
nothing ; but hguesty respecting the relations of sex 
was the rule, the attractions of the one to the other 
being more entirely of nature's innocence, and genuine. 
Though Friends, like the primitive Methodists and 
Puritans — whom, not without reason, they reprobated 
— were of ascetic turn, yet it was a time when beauty, 



30 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

if it was granted, with health and sweet domestic 
virtues, made up the sum of woman's worth. By the 
general consensus she was considered simply the coun- 
terpart of man, and there was as much need of her 
warm bosom as for his protecting arm. Beauty was, 
indeed, generally regarded as a "glorious gift," a 
dower to be prized, to be cherished and sought for, but 
it was less ostentatiously revealed than now to the 
public regard. Outward graces were veiled, so to 
speak. Only in the home and with the intimacies of 
girl-friendships and the rightful lover were they to be 
even partially unfolded. The sexes regarded each 
other not so much as is now the case — from the men- 
tal, pecuniary and birth endowment — but less artifi- 
cially, more naturally, from the primitive physical 
standpoint, intuitively as complements, as of course 
they are, to each other, but with an eye to present con- 
ditions, somewhat regardless of both past and future. 
She, the ideal of earlier time, surrendered her genuine 
distinctive charms, and received in turn the admiring 
devotion of a manly heart that beat for her alone. He, 
the proud young husband, bore her, a priceless treas- 
ure, to the home he had prepared for her, to rule in it ; 
and when she took her rightful place at hearth and 
board to give him the glad allegiance of a willing 
mind, the marriages being more generally strictly love 
marriages, the marriage bed was almost without excep- 
tion honorable and undefiled. As for over-production, 
that was the last thing ; as for fearing there would not 
be enough for all, the idea never entered their minds. 
Of course she was not thinking of children when they 
married, nor was she thinking the contrary. When 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 31 

her sweet little hand, that very probably could not 
write, went confidingly to the larger one, which took it 
and her as a sacred trust, she was thinking of love and 
a home, of him who would supply all her needs and 
be ever sufficient, and the pride she would take to 
make his home all he could wish, more than he could 
think. He was thinking of love and a home, of inno- 
cence and of cherishing. Sweet pictures of domestic 
bliss ! There arose upon his vision the time when he 
would have her to himself alone ; of her neat, cheery 
figure waiting in the door for him when he came in 
from toil or other roughness, and of what their home 
would be. What was the man's part, was the man's 
part, and lived up to ; what was the woman'-s, the 
woman's. He took care of outside affairs, she of the 
household. If he was a "good provider," that was 
praise. If she was a "good wife and mother," — 
meaning keeping things within neat and comfortable, 
bearing children to follow in the footsteps of their 
predecessors — she fulfilled her destiny and satisfied 
him. No one could say a word against her. She 
churned, she baked, she brewed, she spun, or saw to 
it — their children coming on. He plowed, he sowed, 
he reaped, he garnered, or superintended it, "for 
mother and the children," and they were both content 
nor looked much beyond. 

Beautiful instinct of human pairing ! Consummate 
human flowering ! How barren and melancholy to 
one dipping into genealogies does the unmated one 
appear ! It seems against the order of heaven. Who 
has not seen these truncated branches of family trees, 
making the whole distorted and deformed? Surely, 



32 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

reproduction simply should not be set before character, 
intellect, works, and still upon it depends the continu- 
ance of these things. Cannot some bright spirit devise 
some representation for the solitary, who, if their lives 
please God, He has promised to set in families? Shall 
their branch descend to the ground as leaving that 
result to Him, and in some way flower out again into a 
beneficence, an heroic deed or worthy effort, if they 
have been or done anything worth surviving ? Or some 
other way? For the Word says: "Neither let the 
eunuch say, Behold I am a dry tree. For thus saith 
the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths and 
choose the things that please me, and take hold of my 
covenant ; even unto them will I give in mine house 
and within my walls a place and a name better than of 
sons and of daughters ; I will give them an everlasting 
name that shall not be cut off." — Isa. 56 : 3, 4, 5. 

On the other hand, how blessed and complete the 
marriages, followed by the long lists of offspring ! 
"Happy is the man," says the Psalmist, "that hath 
his quiver full of them." Was it all better? Is the 
foregoing altogether an ideal picture? Are there no 
ideal pictures now? We cannot have just that state 
back again. Would universal ability to read and write 
mar it ? And. children clustering about, sometimes with 
book in hand ? And father and mother able to answer 
questions and intelligently caring for their advance- 
ment? Such a picture there will be farther on, more 
than one. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 33 

Second-day Morning, May 15, 1899. 

Dear Cousin — Marianna and I have carefully [this 
Sarah requested] read thy MSS. and think it good and 
appropriate for the opening [chapter] , telling the 
younger generations what they can only know from 
history, of the difference in those days and now. I 
took it over to Martha Overman* and her daughter 
Alice to read and give their opinion [also requested] . 
They, too, think it suitable for the beginning, and say 
tell thee they will gladly do anything they can to help 
thee, but think Hicks has told thee more and better 
than they can. They wish their love to thee, and say 
tell thee they are very glad thee has undertaken the 
work. She is but poorly, and I am better able to visit 
her than she is me, so I go often, and am glad we are 
as near together as we are — about half a mile. Thank 
thee for sending to us to read. Hope have not kept it 
too long and it will return to thee all right. 

Lovingly, 
Marianna and Margaret. 



Poor little Millicent, she never had any " desend- 
ents " at all! Was the second wife. (How stupid 
historians, especially if they find out things after their 
nourishes with the aforesaid rose-colored pencil !) But 
if she had learned to write, we might have heard more 
of her. Moral : Knowledge is power. But how 
stupid the historian ! Here is a metaphorical — no, 
a rhetorical tear for poor little Millicent, who had the 
misfortune to leave no one to keep her memory green. 



* Uncle Jimmy's oldest daughter. 



34 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Let this record stay. We can afford this much. It 
may be all she has on earth. We do not like to think 
of being forgotten. 

Salem, February 22, 1S99. 

Dear Sarah — You commence in your last letter by 
saying you have come to a difficulty. And it seems to 
be about Mordicai, Jr., who married Martha Winslow, 
i. e., Uncle Mordicai. Uncle Mordicai's children were 
by his first wife. I think there were two daughters 
and one son. The son, a young man, if I mistake not, 
visited Salem at one time. John White's wife was one 
of the daughters. And, by the way, I expect Hannah 
White*, of Raysville, might have heard her husband 
tell of the family, and she knows more than any of us. 
Mordicai's second wifef had no children. I recollect 
her well. She had not the intelligence of Mrs. South- 
worth or the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and I 
think it doubtful about her being able to write her own 
name ; and I should not wonder if she died poor, not- 
withstanding so large an inheritance. 

Yours truly, 

Robert Morris. 



There is a characteristic anecdote, in Levi Coffin's 
Reminiscences, p. 26, bearing upon the subject of the 
lengthy Quaker mode of getting married : " Dr. Cald- 
well, a learned physician and clergyman, who had a 
rich vein of humor among the solid qualities of his 



* She wrote kindly, but had given her papers years ago to 
Hannah Amelia White. 

t She was a large, fleshy woman ; died 8-29-1834. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 35 

character, said of Jeremiah Hubbard, then teaching at 
New Garden : ' You ought to pay Mr. Hubbard double 
price for tuition, for I hear that he has taught his 
pupils tlie art of courting ; I hear that two of his pupils 
have made known their intentions of marriage, or given 
in meeting, as you call it. How do you suppose these 
young Quakers feel, now that they are half married? ' 
1 As if they intended to be wholly married soon, I sup- 
pose,' young Coffin replied." This also shows his 
readiness of speech. But of him and his work, plenty 
more farther on. 



We will now resume the Morris history, reviewing 
authentic records of contemporary events, and adding 
some scraps of direct testimony, as well as a few stories, 
if space permit (which it does not here), still current 
among those who yet live to tell them. And it may 
be remembered, in passing, that this "we" is not the 
commonplace, consequential editorial, but a bran new 
cousinly original, evolved from Sarah's brain for the 
occasion. 

Before the birth of John Morris in 1680, and in all 
probability the determining cause of the immigration of 
his ancestors, with very many others at different times, 
to this country, the Act of Uniformity was passed, 
besides many other statutes of religious intolerance, 
resulting in cruel oppressions and persecutions. 

The Habeas Corpus Act, however, was passed by 
Parliament in 1679, the year before our ancestor, John 
Morris, was born ; and when King James succeeded to 
the throne, the little boy was five years old, and four 
years later, i, e. , when he was a lad of nine, could 



36 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

scarcely but have heard of the king's deposition and 
the crowning of William and Mary, amid general rejoic- 
ings. He had learned of the discovery of America ; 
that it had been explored, wrestled for, by Spaniard, 
English, Dutch and French, and colonized ; but the 
Hand-Book of History and Chronology (which Frank 
used at Williams), by the Rev. JohnM. Gregory, LE.D., 
says, " No one seems to have suspected that, among the 
few settlements, chiefly of a commercial character, was 
to be the home of great states. But the struggles of 
Europe had been preparing many liberty-loving souls, 
and the reaction of the seventeenth century now drove 
them forth to enjoy in the new world the freedom 
denied in the old. Raleigh's plans had failed, but they 
paved the way for more successful efforts. " And, 
again, "When the seventeenth century opened, it re- 
mained almost as unbroken a wilderness as Columbus 
found it." Still, " in America alone, the century was 
one of progress." A Quaker is not long in discovering 
the why : Because there were despots and general wars 
in the rest of the world. He continues: " The des- 
tined State-builders of the new world, educated in the 
storm} 7 trials and triumphs of the sixteenth centur) 7 , 
were now driven forth by the iron despotism of the 
seventeenth, and the long known but unbroken wilds 
of America were everywhere suddenly filled with teem- 
ing colonies. It was as if God, having ripened the 
seeds for this new world, had now permitted them to 
be rudely shaken from the European tree." He also 
speaks of ' ' The intellectual movement of the century 
as of great and splendid progress, Bacon led the way," 
and giving the names of "Descartes and Locke in 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 37 

philosophy, Galileo and Newton in physical science, 
and Milton and Racine in literature," as those who 
star the night. He concludes with denominating it as 
"a somewhat singular period, a century apparently 
out of place, a return of darkness after the dawn." 
These subjects were, in general, before the time and 
beyond the ability of the young boy with whom we 
have to do, whatever his parents may have known of 
them. Though they may have taught him the sim- 
plicity of the great Newton's illustration of the great 
law of gravitation, and Milton's opening stop : 

" Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit 
Of that forbidden tree." 

And that Galileo said of the steadfast earth, " It does 
move." But moral questions, the great issues of the 
day, the vexations of the mother country, and the trials 
and perils of the new, if the} 7 had time and thought for 
more than their daily burden of duties and cares, they 
thought and communed of such things. And in their 
teaching of their little son, first born of eight children, 
they early imbued his mind with a love of freedom ; a 
reverence for the All Father of love ; a sympathy for 
the suffering and helpless of whatever condition ; a 
respect for the rights of man; peace, moral accounta- 
bility and a future beyond. Towards the close of the 
century, Louis XIV ; Peter the Great ; the chivalrous 
Sobieski ; the indomitable Charles the XII, the real 
successor to the great Gustavus ; were the great rulers 
of other lands. 

The children heard these names from afar, but their 
infant minds drank in more eagerly the nearer story, 
and the like, of Captain John Smith and the noble and 



3S OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

lovely Pocahontas ; the Mayflower ; King Philip ; 
William Penn, brightest name yet among them ; and 
the Salem witchcraft. The first Colonial Assembly — 
the first instance of Representative Government, i. e., of 
men, on this continent ; also, the union of the New 
England colonies ; Indian warfare ; with the names 
just mentioned, were the men and the measures, the 
active agencies and results, that helped to fill the 
century. For earlier, to quote loosely from our histo- 
rian again, " The American colonies were still depend- 
ent ; France and England struggling for the lion's 
share of this best part of the New World, and their 
colonies were plunged into frequent wars to forward 
the designs of the mother country, until the final strug- 
gle, known in American history as the French and 
Indian war. First, the French gave up ; then came on 
the struggle between the crown and the colonies. 
Otis ; Franklin ; the Stamp Act ; Taxation without 
Representation (as now, in general, with unmarried 
women and widows) ; the Boston Tea Party ; the first 
Continental Congress ; the American Revolution ; the 
Declaration of Independence (for men) ; the Revolu- 
tionary war ; the Peace of Versailles (in which Eng- 
land acknowledged the independence of the United 
States — closed also the war with France and Spain*); 
Washington's Farewell Address ; the formation of 
our present Constitution and Union, eleven States rati- 
fying ; Washington, President ; are the chief themes 
of interest. 



* Modern Europe, vol. 3, p. 150, (quoted in Hand- Book of 
History). 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 39 

These current events are given, that those needing 
them may form a better idea of the condition of the 
times of John Morris; his son, Aaron; his son's son, 
Joshua; the latter's sons, Mordicai, Sr. , and Joshua 
again; Thomas, Mordicai, Jr , with Benoni, Anderson 
and Abigail — all his children of whom we have,* as 
yet, a particular account. The dates given are inter- 
woven with our history. Sarah leaves further com- 
parisons to those who may be interested in making 
them, except to say that George Washington became 
President during the life of the elder Mordicai, who 
was born in 1749 ; and John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, 
James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams 
and Andrew Jackson, all served during his long life ; 
so that Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren and Wil- 
liam Henry Harrison, served successively during the 
prime of the lives of several of his children, some of 
whom were living much longer — all of them, to 
Abigail, having been born before Washington's first 
incumbency. 

To sum up the foregoing : In the time of our 
known ancestors was the immigration to America, the 
Rise of Friends, the Independence of the Colonies. 
What do Friends, as a religious body, believe, anyhow? 
For to know this is to know how John Morris deported 
himself, to have honorable mention left on record as 
"An Elder pretty well accounted of." It is to know 
how he felt, spoke and acted respecting all the great 
questions of the day, and as his descendants continued 
Frie?ids, it is also to know their thoughts, words and 
deeds, so far as their deepest religious convictions were 
concerned. For the times made convictions, if there 



40 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

was stuff to make them of, and convictions cost, as they 
always do and will continue to do. Only those were 
men who had them. How is it now? 

Friends were come-outers from deadness, from form- 
alism, from ordinances, from sacerdotalism, from sect 
and sex in religion. The leadship of Christ and the 
absolute equality of believers were their fundamental 
doctrines. The indwelling and leading of the Holy 
Spirit and the diversity of spiritual gifts dispensed by 
Him to the hearts of believers, and absolute freedom 
for the showing forth of both, were tenaciously held by 
them. They we're down on the one man power, the 
one man sermon, and a fixed routine of worship, con- 
gregational or otherwise. 

Sarah had two booklets before her, from which she 
thought to make extracts ; and a slip, a quotation, from 
Stanley Pumphrey's little book of the same character, 
Friends' Missions. The booklets are : Society of 
Friends and its Mission*, by James Wood, read at the 
World's Congress of Religions, Chicago, Ninth month, 
22, 1893; an d> The Friends, by Henry Stanley New- 
man, 1895 I an d she has in her mind an old book, The 
Expositor, by Thomas Evans, her mother's at West- 
town, published in Philadelphia in 1828, and an unan- 
swerable letter of last year, written by Frances Thomas, 
and addressed to Mrs. Mary B. Charles, for her benefit, 
upon the occasion of some doubt of Sarah's as to the 
clearness of the Westtown book upon the personality 
of the Three in the Godhead. This chapter has, how- 
ever, reached its limit. Sarah can now but briefly say, 



* Friends' Book and Tract Committee, 45 East Tenth street, 
New York. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 41 

Stanley Pumphrey, emphasizing the Friends' church 
as a mission one, says : " George Fox tells Friends in 
America, in 1679" [this is just a year before the 
birth of John Morris] , ' ' ' If you are true Christians 
you must preach the gospel to Indians, Blacks and all 
others. Christ commands it. ' " Henry Stanley Newman 
says, ' • The Friends rose to be a people of God in the 
seventeenth century, and stood forward a'mid much 
persecution as a body of religious Reformers. ' ' James 
Wood emphasizes the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and 
says, ' ' By this one truth all distinctive Quakerism is 
to be interpreted." 



CHAPTER III. 



Introductory Letters from Margaret Albert- 
son and E. Hicks Trueblood — Earey History 
— Genealogy : John Trueblood to» Grandma — 
John Trueblood's Will — A Deed — Nathan 
Trueblood — The Freed Slave — Annals — 
Indiana Territory — Treaties — Slavery. 



THE TRUEBEOOD ANCESTRY. 

Among those who were early most helpful to Sarah 
in gathering material for her history, were Margaret 
Albertson, her mother's now venerable cousin, and E. 
Hicks Trueblood, son of " Uncle Jimmy," both of the 
Trueblood line, to which we now turn. 

Margaret's letters show the spirit of helpfulness and 
encouragement with which she enters into the present 
undertaking, and how she has further contributed to 
make the portion in which she is most deeply concerned 
veracious and interesting. Her first letter of reply, 
dated Kansas City, Mo., 2d mo. 23, 1899, begins with: 
" We were indeed surprised, yet none the less pleased, 
both to hear from our dear valued and long silent rela- 
tives and friends, and to hear that thou hast undertaken 
that which is very near our hearts — the preparation of 
the family biography and memoirs. Thou art aware of 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 43 

my dear husband's death, and also of sister Mary- 
Ann's. The majority of our loved ones are ' over 
there,' and some of the rest of us are near the ' sunset.' 
My daughter, Marianna A. Nichols, says please extend 
her kind wishes to thee, and encouragement in the 
continuance of the work of preparing the book ; and 
when ready, please inform her, as she will surely want 
one. She is our youngest and only daughter now left 
to us, with whom we have made our home for many 
years and where I hope to spend the remaining years 
of my life.* I am left for some purpose, I must think, 
yet a little longer. 

"I wish the information I might give were suffi- 
cient to attest my interest in the work thee has under- 
taken, but fear it will fall far short of doing so, but 
anything I can recall I will gladly give." [She fur- 
nishes the account of the Cypress Tree, which will 
appear farther on.] 

Again, "I fear thee will feel quite disappointed 
because I have told so little of what thee wants to know, 
and I am ashamed and sorry I can't tell more, but am 
glad some of the elder onesf can, and hope thee can 
soon collect all thee needs for a book, and will, before 
long, have it ready for us to read. If I had been as 
much interested in my younger days as I am now, 
while our dear parents, uncles and aunts were living, 
I might have known, more, and perhaps been able to 



^Referring most probably to a critical but successful opera- 
tion, many years ago, with Dr. Thos. B. Harvey, the " beloved 
physician," of Indianapolis, who, with his wife, the Temperance 
" Angel," were dear friends ; both deceased. 
t There were several yet living over eighty. 



44 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

give some valuable information to the younger ; any- 
thing 1 can give or tell I will gladly do so. I do hope 
brother Joseph will write to thee soon, for I know he 
can tell thee better about father's dear old farm, its 
acres, divisions, etc. He is quite feeble*, and know 
he writes but little, but when he does it always counts, 
and has his old-time ring. If he don't write soon it 
will be good to remind him that it needs haste, as thee 
needs the little things to make up the whole to glean 
from. Brother Williamf, too, could give something 
from his storehouse. He cannot write for himself, on 
account of nervousness, but his grandson writes for 
him. Then there is another cousin, E. Hicks True- 
blood, Uncle Jimmy's son, Hitchcock, Ind., who has 
made it his study for some time, and think he can and 
will be glad to share his information with us, and per- 
haps he can take us farther back than we have on the 
Trueblood side. Maybe thee has seen the Trueblood 
Tree that Dr. Joshua got up years ago? " [No.] 

And, again, "I am very glad and thankful thee 
has undertaken this (in my opinion, important and 
interesting work), and hope thee will be helped and 
favored to get all the information necessary to make it 
valuable and instructive. I have long wished it could 
be done, and hoped that some of you talented ones 
might take it up." [S. no talent this way.] "Thee 
truly says, ' There will soon be none to carry forward 
these memories.' If not too much trouble, we would 
like to hear from time to time how thee gets along, and 



* Over eighty (since deceased). 

t Then in his ninetieth year (since deceased). 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 45 

will repeat that at any time I can do any good, please 
let me know. May the Lord abundantly bless and 
help thee. Lovingly, 

Margaret Albertson." 



She could not be otherwise than loving and loyal. 
She assists in the immediate genealogy and knowledge 
of events. Her dear daughter furnishes a truly poetical 
description of Uncle Nathan's place, inserted farther 
on. Farther on ! The expression, used so frequently, 
carries the mind on to the time when, it is fondly 
hoped, we shall all know all. The names mentioned 
and the casual remarks assist in the general information. 



Sarah wrote forthwith to Hicks Trueblood, and 
received the following speedy reply, slightly abridged : 

Hitchcock, Ind., February 25, 1899. 

My Dear Cousin — *** and to show I am interested 
in its contents, reply at once. Though thy mother is 
a cousin of mine, I scarcely knew her children. I 
believe, though, thee is the oldest of them ; or was thy 
brother Robert? [Though the perpetrator is inno- 
cent of such intention, this might be considered a joke 
upon brother Robert, who had the habit of telling 
Sarah's age upon her birthday. "S " is for simpleton. 
<( Why, really, sixty-five is somewhat old." The 
Simpleton {vice-versa, Sarah), looking the six thousand 
and first time for the word "really," finds the above 
appropriate but unfeeling quotation, which by the way 
of reparation she gives. The stress of nature — feme 



46 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

sole — can no farther go! and finally Webster's quo- 
tation caps all, as if in intentional juxtaposition — from 
1 ' You?ig " / ] How different it was, two hundred 
years ago, with those who were Truebloods, or had 
Trueblood blood coursing in their veins. Their num- 
bers then were so small, everyone must have known 
his relation. 

Well, I will use pencil, and use it on large size 
paper. I do not know where to begin to tell thee 
anything, as there is so much I feel thee would be 
interested in. I have a good sized book besides the 
Trueblood and Henley branches ; many old marriage 
certificates of our family — one as far back as two hun- 
dred years. Have several old wills, old letters — one 
an old love-letter of my grandfather Joshua, and his 
marriage certificate ; of my other grandfather, John 
Trueblood (thy great-grandfather), and his marriage 
with Mary Griffin. His first wife was Jemima Nixon 
(thy great-grandmother). I have been fortunate, or 
lucky, in getting ancestral papers. (The Will of first 
John Trueblood, see under his name in Genealogy.) 
I have one older still, but it is on my grandmother's 
side of the house. But if I keep on telling thee these 
things, I shall not answer thy inquiries. I will say 
here, what thee may know, that thy grandmother, 
Rebecca Trueblood Morris, was the daughter of John 
Trueblood and Jemima Nixon, his wife. Jemima was 
the daughter of Phineas Nixon and Mary Pierce, his 
wife. John was the son of Daniel Trueblood and Mary 
Morris, his wife. Daniel Trueblood was the son of 
John Trueblood, the second, and Sarah Albertson, his 
wife. (Sarah was the daughter of Esau Albertson.) 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 47 

John Trueblood (2) was the son of John Trueblood (1) 
and Agnes Fisher, his wife. This is the road thy 
ancestry comes down, and mine on my father's side the 
same way ; but on my mother's side it comes through 
Amos, the son of the first John, instead of his brother, 
John (2). 

As it will take a great deal of writing to tell thee all 
thee would like to learn on this interesting subject to 
us both, it has crossed my mind that I might send my 
book for thee to see, and copy as thee saw fit ; and 
thee could keep the book a few weeks. I have had 
letters asking for information which I have not always 
been able to give (about slavery and the sugar grove, 
see in chapter, Resolve). 

Has thee read Prof. Seibert's From Slavery to 
Freedom in Underground Railroad ? — a new and clear 
work, and I consider excellent. What is in it from 
here was contributed to the author by myself. 

I will write no more at this time, and await an 
answer from thee. Very cordially, 

E. H. Trueblood. 



48 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

(skip, who must !) 

" Remove not the ancient landmarks which thy fathers 
have set."— Prov. 22: 28. 

(Copied by permission from E. Hicks Trueblood's Genealogy.) 

John Trueblood : 

Born in England, about 1660. 

Died in Albemarle Province, N. C, 1692. 

Son of Trueblood and his wife, of 

England. 
Agnes Fisher, his wife : 

Born in England, about 1660*. 

Died in Albemarle Province, N. C. , 1705. 

Daughter of Fisher and his wife, of 

England. 
Were married, about 1682. 
Children : 

1. Mary, born 1684; died (not known). 

2. Elizabeth, born 1687 ; died (time unknown). 

3. John, born 1689; died, about 1745. 

4. Amos, born 1692 ; died, 12-20, 1759. 

Came to North Carolina about the year 1650* ; set- 
tled in Camden county. It is supposed the two sons 
were born in North Carolina. — (Newton Trueblood, 
authority). 

Extract from E. Hicks Trueblood's Letter. 



< < 



By very luck I came across the will of the first 
John Trueblood, executed in 1692. Twelve years ago 



* A discrepancy here between the dates 1650 and 1660, 
which Newton Trueblood could not correct. The earlier date 
may refer to earlier] ancestry. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 49 

it was bought, with other papers and books, in a junk 
shop for a trifle, so the State Librarian of North Caro- 
lina wrote me, and it is now framed and hangs in the 
library room in Raleigh, N. C. I got a copy of it. 

" Chas. Iy. Greaves, of Potsboro, Chatahaga county, 
who was so kind as to copy the John Trueblood will 
for me, is the son of Mary E. Greaves, who is the 
daughter of Nathan Trueblood, who was the son of 
Thomas and Margaret (Morris) Trueblood; Margaret 
being the daughter of Thomas Morris and Eucretia 
(Henley) Morris, thy mother's uncle." 



A WILL. 
(Copied from E. Hicks Trueblood's Genealogy.) 

4 Julie, 1692, Albemarle Province, Carolina: 

In the name of God, amen. I, John Trueblood, 
being sound in body and mind, do make this my last 
will and testament, as followeth : I give unto my 

loving wife, Agnes Trueblood, the or one-half of 

my movable goods and estate and one-half of my land 
during her natural life, and after her (natural) death, 
to be equally divided between my two sons, John True- 
blood and Amos Trueblood, and their heirs forever. 

Secondly. I give and bequeath the other one-half 
part of my movable goods, to be equally divided be- 
tween my four children, that is to say, Mary Trueblood, 
Elizabeth Trueblood, John Trueblood and Amos True- 
blood. 

Thirdly. I ordain and appoint my loving wife, 
Agnes Trueblood, to be my lone and lawful executrix 
of this my last will and testament, and to bring up my 



50 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

children according to her discretion and to pay them 
their portions as they come to lawful age. 

Fourthly. And, lastly, I do ordain and appoint, 
in case my wife should die without making any will, 

that my appoints Thomas Symons and Jeremiah 

Symons to take my estate into their possession, and 
care for the good of my children and bring them up 
according to their discretion, as witness my hand and 
seal this the seventh day of May, 1692. 

Signed, sealed and delivered. 

John Trueblood [Seal] . 
In the presence of us : 

Joseph Sparrow, 
Alice Sparrow, 
Griffin Gray. 

Proven in Court, this 4th day of July, 1692, by the 
oaths of Joseph Sparrow, Alice Sparrow, Griffin 
Gray, as attest agents for Paul I^athume. 



The numbering of clauses, and his mark, must have 
been given in one copy ; not, if Sarah remembers, in 
the first. She thinks later they were in Noble True- 
blood's Book, which she also had the privilege of con- 
sulting. 

The image of an serial Phonograph has arisen upon 
the mental vision, since reaching this stage of employ. 
Far off voices seem to sound over the swelling seas, 
from the deeps of the past, and from the shores and 
inlets and rich fields of the dear adopted and native 
Southland ! and to come clear from the old homesteads 
about Salem and old Blue River, and remind of their 
venerable and peaceful burying grounds ! 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 51 

A Will especially voices the past. Here, the man 
is in truth revealed. " In the name of God, amen ! " 
"I, John Trueblood, being sound in body and mind." 
What a vigorous ring it has ! What a strong chord, to 
vibrate still after more than two hundred years ! Was 
it the fashion of the times ? What faithfulness to his 
life companion — loyal and loving, hearty and prudent ! 
No megrims disturbed that well-poised nature, to pre- 
vent duty. "In the name of God, amen!" It is 
True-blood, is it not? 

But what was included in ' ' movable goods ? ' ' 
Could slaves have been ? We shall see, further on. 

Copied from the same, the line of descent is some- 
what condensed here. It is necessary, however, for a 
clear understanding of the relationships, to keep the 
thread well in hand. Therefore, to continue : 



( SKIP, WHO WISH ! ) 

ist — John Trueblood, ist. 
2d — John Trueblood, 2d. 

John Trueblood, 2d, and Sarah Albertson his wife, 

born about 1695. (Sarah Albertson was daughter 

of Esau Albertson* and Sarah Sexton his wife. ) 

Were married about 1720. 

All of the Province of Albermarle, N. C. 

Children : 

(7"7)t 
Fisher, born 4-4, 1732 ; died, 1785. 

Daniel, born 4-5, 1734; died, 1795. 



*We will show a distinguished man from this line, after 
awhile. 

t Date above others, Noble Trueblood's book. 



52 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Miriam, born, 1736; died, 1785. 

Married Algood; married Cann; married James 
Jones. Two children — an Algood and a Jones. 



A DEED. 
(Copied from E. Hicks Trueblood's Genealogy.) 

10th day of December, 1771. 

State of North Carolina, Pasquotank County: 

To all Christian people to whom this may come, I, 
Fisher Trueblood, of Pasquotank county and State of 
North Carolina, sendeth greeting : Know ye that I, 
the said Fisher Trueblood, by and with the consent, 
well liking and approbation of Isabel, my wife, signi- 
fied by her signing of these presents with her seal, also 
affixed her name, and in the consideration of the sum 
of twelve pounds lawful money of said Province, to me 
in hand paid by Daniel Trueblood of the county and 
province aforesaid, the receipt whereof I do hereby 
acknowledge, and myself to be therewith fully satisfied, 
consented and paid, and thereof and of and from every 
part and partial thereof, and exonerate and acquit and 
discharge the said Daniel Trueblood, his heirs, exec- 
utors and administrators and assigns forever. I, the 
said Fisher Trueblood, do, by these presents, bargain, 
convey and confirm, and hath by these presents fully, 
freely and absolutely, myself, my heirs, executors and 
assigns forever, a certain tract or piece of land, to him, 
Daniel Trueblood, and his heirs, on Pasquotank river, 
in Pasquotank county, containing 77 acres, be the 
same more or less, being known by the name Blyarses 
Island, beginning, etc., at Thomas Davis' and the 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 53 

river ; then 10K8 chains to an * * * ; then 10.486 
at a * * * ; south 19 degrees, west 31 chains to an 
* * * ; then No. 84E10 chain to a gum tree, a corner 
the chain * * * ; then to 76H5 chains to an ash tree, 
17 chains to the first station, which * * * Wallow, 
and ascends from him to Richards Wallow — together 
with all the privileges, edifices, commodities, to the 
said Daniel Trueblood * * *, his heirs and assignees 
forever * * *, as of a good and perfect estate of inher- 
itance. 

Fisher Trueblood [Seal], 
Isabel Trueblood [Seal]. 

Caleb Johnson. 

Baily Johnson. 

One thousand seven hundred and seventy-one. 



( SKIP, who will ! ) 

1 st — John Trueblood, 1st. 
2d — John Trueblood, 2d. 
3d — Daniel Trueblood. 

(Condensed from E. Hicks Trueblood's Genealogy.) 

Line of Descent. 

Daniel Trueblood and Mary Morris, his wife, both of 
the Province of Albemarle, N. C. (another says 
Pasquotank Co.) 

Mary Morris, born 1-8, 1735 ; died about 1775. Daugh- 
ter of Aaron Morris and Mary Pritchard, his wife, 
of near Elizabeth City, N. C. 
They were married 2-10, 1757. 

* Asterisks indicate something Hicks Trueblood could not 
make out. 



54 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Children : 

i. John Trueblood, 3d, born 2-6, 1760; died, 1786. 

or Jesse Trueblood. 
2. Jesse Trueblood, born 1-16, 1758 ; died, 1796. 

or John Trueblood. 

Given in part by Margaret Albertson, from Nathan 
and Patience Trueblood' s Family Record, and so on 
through. 

"Patience!" as the children say, " we are getting 
warm ! ' ' 



( SKIP, WHO can ! J 

1st— John Trueblood, 1st. 
2d — John Trueblood, 2d. 
3d — Daniel Trueblood. 
4th — John Trueblood, 3d. 

John Trueblood, 3d, born in Pasquotank Co. , and Jemima 
Nixon, his wife (born 2-6, 1755; died 12-15,1791 — 
daughter of Phineas Nixon and Mary Pierce, his 
wife). Were married at Little River, N. C, 2-14, 
1776 or 1778. 

Children : 

1. Phineas*, born 3-11, 1779; died without off- 

spring. 

2. (Here they are ! ) Nathan, born 10-31, 1781 ; 

died 12-2, 1875. 

3. Mary, born 2-16, 1784; died 10-27, l8 7 6 ( or 

12-2, 1875). 

4. (Here she is!) Rebecca, born 5-17, 1789; 

died 2-28, 1881. 

* "A nice young man," Susan Trueblood heard her mother 
say. (Salem visit.) 




REBECCA MORRIS ("Grandma"), Aged 94. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 55 

5. Sarah, born 12-19, 1790; died 4-7, 1796 — a 
child of six years. 
John Trueblood, 3d. (Second marriage), to Mary 

Griffin, daughter of William Griffin and wife, at 

Piney Woods, Perquimmon Co., N. C, in the 

year 1793. 
Children : 

1. James, born 2-27-1794 ; died 5-2-1884. 

2. John, born 1-25-1796 ; died 10-1-1796. 

John Trueblood, 3d, died in the year 1796, and was 
buried at what was called The Narrows, where his first 
wife was buried, and which is supposed to be the place 
of burial of all his early ancestors. His second wife, 
Mary, died 10-10-1814, and was also buried at The 
Narrows in N. C. (From the same.) 

Mary Trueblood, daughter of John Trueblood and 
Jemima Nixon, his wife, was married to James Over- 
man, son of Charles Overman, and Elizabeth, his wife, 
10-1801. One child, a daughter, born to them (Mar- 
garet Albertson, authority); died in childhood, named 
Elizabeth (Susan Trueblood, authority). (Salem visit.) 



1 

2 

3 
4 

5 



(skip, who may !) 

John Trueblood, 1st. 
John Trueblood, 2d. 
Daniel Trueblood. 
John Trueblood, 3d. 
Nathan Trueblood. 



Nathan Trueblood was married at Syinon Creek, 
N. C, 2-28-1805, to Patience Newby, daughter of 



56 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Joseph Newby and wife, all of Pasquotank Co. The 
four oldest children were born to them in N. C. , namely: 

John, born 9-2-1806; died 11 mo. 28-1818. 
William, born 11-19-1809. 
Elizabeth, born 3-3-1812. 
Asenath, born 10-1-1814. 

In the following spring Nathan came with these 
and other relatives and friends to Indiana, settling near 
Salem, Washington Co., where they lived and died. 

John Coen, son of a freed slave, born in N. C, came 
with them, lived with them, died and was buried by 
them, at Blue River. (Sarah to Margaret Albertson:) 
The freed slave's son? He was very black, if I re- 
member rightly, and had an apologetic air, as if he 
said, "Excuse me, I really cannot help it. I cannot 
even help being." Eonely soul! but in a free land 
and well cared for, kindly sheltered and warmed at 
that friendly, glowing hearth. (Correction by Mar- 
garet Albertson — No, the R. C. P. in fault again; 
this was some other:) "John Coen was a light mu- 
latto, very neat and gentlemanly in his actions and 
appearance. I think he died before thee was born. It 
must have been some of the other colored men who 
lived at father's when thee used to be there with thy 
mother, that thee remembers were black." 

Before the account of Nathan's immigration to 
Indiana, various family matters must be disposed of ; 
and that a better notion of their undertaking may be 
gained by those now living in such different circum- 
stances, some idea of the condition of the New Terri- 
tory and causes for and manner of their leaving the old 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 57 

home State, seem to come in place here. An old book 
falls in our way which, on some accounts, suits the 
present purpose better than a new one, Western Annals, 
an historical work compiled and published by James 
R. Albrach, who, in the preface, acknowledges his 
indebtedness "to the lamented James H. Perkins, a 
gentleman highly competent for the task." 

Indiana Territory was formed in 1800; the neces- 
sity for its formation is given on p. 753, as follows : 

' ' The great extent of territory northwest of the 
Ohio made the ordinary operations of government ex- 
tremely uncertain and the efficient action of courts 
almost impossible. The Committee of Congress re- 
ported only one court in 3 western counties in 5 years ; 
and the immunity which offenders experience, attracts 
as to an asylum the most vile and abandoned criminals 
and at the same time deters useful and virtuous persons 
from making settlements in such societ3^. The extreme 
necessity of judiciary attention is experienced in civil 
as well as criminal cases. The supplying to vacant 
places necessary officers, as clerks, recorders and others 
of like kind, is utterly neglected. And as a frontier 
exposed to foreign nations, whose agents find it to their 
interests in fomenting insurrection and discontent, and 
so easily divert a valuable trade in furs from the U. S. 
The law of Mar. 3, 1791, granting land to certain per- 
sons in the western part of said territory, remains un- 
executed ; great discontent excited requires immediate 
attention of this Legislature." 

Remedy, to divide in two parts, 4th of July next. 

(754 P-) 



58 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

(754 p. ) An act was passed and approved upon the 
7th of May, from which the following provisions are 
extracted : 

"That from and after the 4th of July next, all that 
part of the territory of the United States west of the 
Ohio river, which lies westward of a line beginning at 
the Ohio opposite to the mouth of Kentucky river, 
and-so-forth, shall, for the purpose of temporary govern- 
ment, constitute a separate territory, and be called the 
Indiana Territory," etc. 

(755.) "And be it further enacted, that until," 
etc., " St. Vincennes, on the Wabash river, shall be the 
seat of government for Indiana Territory." 

(789.) " During August, 1804, a series of treaties 
were made by Governor Harrison, of Vincennes, by 
which the claims of several Indian nations to large 
tracts of land were relinquished to the United States, 
for due consideration." 

(790.) "Tracts of land in Indiana and Illinois, "etc. 

In 1800, then, "The act passed and was approved, 
constituting Indiana Territory." 

(Pages 818-19.) "In 1807, the movement for intro- 
ducing slavery into Indiana Territory was brought to a 
close." 

" A petition for slavery in the new territory, which 
had been pending for some time, having been brought 
forward by four men of the Kaskaskia region, in 1796, 
when it was again brought before Congress in 1803, was 
reported against by Mr. Randolph. In 1804, the reso- 
lution was offered in the House of Representatives to 
the effect that the ordinance which prohibited slavery 
within the said territory be suspended, etc. In 1806 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 59 

the same was referred, and in 1807 once more came up, 
upon a representation by the House and Legislative 
Council of the Territory. The National Representa- 
tives were again asked by their committee to approve 
the step, but in the Senate a different view was taken, 
and it was declared inexpedient to suspend the ordi- 
nance." 

So, and by so close a shave, was Indiana saved from 
becoming a battle ground in the civil war. 

Isaac Jenkinson, of Richmond, in an intervew he 
kindly afforded Sarah, at Earlham, during the Bible 
Institute, for the purpose of complying with her request 
to look at one of her chapters, said Indiana had been a 
slave State. That by some anomalous provisions which 
had been overlooked in certain parts of the State, slavery, 
introduced from Virginia, existed until 1828 (?). Mr. 
Jenkinson may be claimed by Sarah as a foster-father, 
as he introduced the resolution respecting the admission 
of women to the State University, and also succeeded 
her dear father, in time, to the Presidency of the Board. 
He was editor of the Palladium for twenty years and 
more ; has lectured at Earlham, etc., and is a busy man 
still. Sarah has shown unbounded assurance, she 
knows, in asking him to look at her papers, but must 
let it go with this acknowledgement, lest he turn it 
upon her, as he is equal to. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Introductory — Rebecca's Stepmother ; Her 
Will — Note — Benoni and Rebecca — The 
South — Some Reflections — Notes and Com- 
ments — Descriptions — Wedding Dress — Com- 
parisons—Letters — Anecdotes — Family Rec- 
ord, Etc. — Catherine's Recollections — Some 
North Carolina Relations — Southern People. 



" Flower of the Mountain Side, 

Ellen Adair ! 
Fairer than all beside 

Ellen Adair ! 
Cast all thy fears aside, 
Thou art my heart's dear pride, 
Come, be my bonny bride, 

Ellen Ada*!"— Elmo. 

We return again to the Family ; opening this chap- 
ter with a copy of a woman's Will. First, however, 
recapitulating that the orphan, Rebecca, was still living 
with her stepmother and the little stepbrother ' 'Jrmniv ' ' 
(James, he was seldom if ever called), the Benjamin 
of the Family, and in making visits to her sister Mary, 
who became both a widow and childless in her youth, 
and at her brother Nathan's, where they rejoiced in a 
little two-year-old son. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 61 

About this time Rebecca's stepmother, falling ill, 
very sensibly made her Will. She recovered and lived 
several years, but saw no occasion to alter it. This 
Hicks Trueblood verifies. — 4-15-99. " After grand- 
father John's death, Aunt Rebecca did not change her 
home, but lived part of the time with her brother Nathan 
and with her sister, Mary Overman. (This, we rec- 
ollect, mother told us.) 

(Copy from E. Hicks Trueblood's Genealogy.) 

The Will of Mary Trueblood, widow of John True- 
blood (3d), and daughter of William Griffin. Executed 
8th day of 10th month, 1808. 

State of North Carolina, ) 
Pasquotank County. } 

I, Mary Trueblood, of the County and State afore- 
said, being sick, but of a sound disposing mind and 
memory, and taking into consideration the uncertain- 
ties of time, here do make and constitute this to be my 
last Will and Testament, in the manner and form follow- 
ing, viz : 

Item. — I give to my son, James Trueblood, all my 
estate as to this world's property, both within house 
and out of doors, of every description of whatsoever 
there may be, to him and to his disposal forever. But 
my will is, that if my son James should die under age, 
or without lawful heirs, that all my property be equally 
divided among my husband's first children, viz : Nathan 
Trueblood, Mary Overman and Rebecca Trueblood, to 
them and to their disposal forever. 



62 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

And, lastly, I hereby nominate and appoint Joshua 
Perisho* and Joshua Trueblood Ex'ers to this my last 
Will and Testament. 

In witness I have herewith set my hand and seal, 
this the 8th day of the ioth month, 1808. 

Mary Trueblood [Seal]. 
Signed in the presence of 

Elizabeth Trueblood. 
Thomas Iigne. 

"Copied from the original Will by a grandson" 
(Hicks). He acknowledged to Sarah (Salem visit), 
" Did not wish his name to appear too often." 

The estate was small. Cousin Joseph Trueblood 
says (Sarah's Salem visit), "only four slaves in all." 
The 1 st John Trueblood had no compunctions about 
them. (Movable goods?) "They were inherited," 
rather their fathers or their mothers,' " before the time 
of John Woolman, indeed, before the Rise of Friends," 
" and he hadn't become convinced of the wrong," and 
after they were in the family it was easy for son and 
son's son to follow precedent. " But the mother, Mary," 
Cousin Joseph added, "and the grandfather, Joshua, 
were very much opposed to slavery," and "it was 
arranged before her death that they should be sent on, 



* Joshua Perisho was her brother-in-law, having married 
an older sister. His daughter was Mary Outland. A Mary 
Outland, a member of the Indianapolis meeting, who fre- 
quently sat beside Sarah in the Mid-week meeting there, was 
probably some descendant. She was a minister, a good, warm- 
hearted, large woman, with impulsive speech. It gave Sarah 
a peculiarly solemn feeling to find her place suddenly vacant 
forever. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 63 

as we have already heard, and colonized in Philadel- 
phia." 

That our sons (may be) as plants grown up in their youth ; 
our daughters as corner-stones, polished, the similitude of a 
palace. — Ps. 144: 12. 

It seems easy enough to grow, if let alone and 
nourished ; but the cutting of the precious stone, for 
that is the kind of polishing here meant, is another 
matter. Where shall she be found ! Gift of God to 
man ; last in the ascending scale of creation ; finest 
human wheaten bread, twice kneaded ! It is not good 
for man to be alone. Some other people must be born. 
One waits for her in a garden a long time. She is a 
long time in making. But she comes at last; this last 
whom generations have been preparing. In this line 
we must find the help-meet* for Benoni of the fore- 
going Morris name. The modern Adams have a gar- 
den of roses to choose from. He has seen others, but is 
a prudent young man not to be caught by the fancy 
merely. He has waited long and secures at last his 
choice — the one among a thousand for whom he has 
long served. 

This may interest some : 
Nathan's, Mary's and Rebecca's father, John True- 
blood, 3d. 
Nathan's, Mary's and Rebecca's mother, Jemima Nixon, 

1 st wife. 
Jimmy's mother, Mary Griffin, 2d wife. 
Their grandfather, Daniel Trueblood. 



* " Help me eat," said little Will Ballantine, afterwards 
President of Oberlin. 



64 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Their grandmother, Mary Morris. 

Their great grandfather, John Trtieblood, 2d. 

Their great grandmother, Sarah Albertson. 

Their great, great grandfather, John Trueblood, 1st. 

Their great, great grandmother, Agnes Fisher. 

Their great, great, great grandfather, Trueblood. 

Their great, great, great grandmother, Trueblood. 

Rebecca had been an orphan for fifteen years before 
her marriage, her mother having died when she was 
four years old. Her father, however, as we have seen, 
married again within two years and died after three. 
James (one of twins) surviving him, but the little sis- 
ter, Sarah, five years old, and John, an infant, dying 
the same year as the father, 1796, Rebecca being then 
nine years old, James two. Nathan and Mary, aged 
respectively fifteen and twelve ; Mary's rather early 
marriage occurring in 1801, at seventeen. 

From the long and utter silence respecting this 
marriage, Sarah conceived the idea that it was unhappy, 
which has since been confirmed. Mary gave her little 
dead daughter's (Elizabeth) clothing to Susan True- 
blood's mother after coming to Indiana. 

Rebecca once spoke of a cousin, a Trueblood is the 
impression, " a great lady at Norfolk," to whom she 
probably made a visit. In this connection she described 
how a Southern lady washed her china ; not having it 
removed from the table, but with (little) " keelers " — 
little tubs — (she had them herself at the time of the 
narration) — containing hot water brought to her, and 
upon waiters and with little mops, without putting her 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 65 

hands in the water, she prepared them at her place 
again for use.* 

But Rebecca also told at another time of having 
water once freezing upon her hands ; how or where 
this could have occurred is unknown, as also why she 
told it : For it was against her habit to complain, and 
she made no comment. The one to whom she spoke 
cannot tell, but it made a vivid impression, still remem- 
bered. It was possibly in some later comparison of 
climate, involving no censure of any, and accounted 
for farther on. It is safe to say, in the gentle, high- 
bred connection, she was never intentionally neglected. 
The brothers and sisters were all extremely fond of 
each other, but in so much association with sickness, 
change and death, she had early gone through much 
more than ordinary vicissitudes. A shy child in grief 
might have suffered in various ways unknown. Twenty- 
four is not a romantic age for marrying, especially in 
the South, but she was at that time certainly slight in 
form, quiet and reserved in manner, and maturing very 
probably slowly physically, may have seemed much 
younger. The following description of her wedding 
dress is by the same witness, to whom Rebecca, taking 
it from a linen bag in which it lay, showed the quaint 
affair. It had been long preserved, for three genera- 
tions, and young eyes that had first opened in that very 
room — Rebecca's were growing dim — but one day in 
her room, a little northwest one, down stairs (not in 
North Carolina), she took it out from some folds. It 



* This was the way in part also they did at Mt. Holyoke 
when Sarah was there, and in senior dignity, Leader of the 
" Blue Crockery Circle ! " 



66 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

was of a fine white muslin, perhaps that called Bishop's 
lawn, very sheer, and very full in waist, skirt and 
sleeves — was low-necked and short-sleeved, very short 
in the waist, indeed, not four inches at most from neck 
to belt, and probably the same in the sleeves. The 
gathering at the neck was by minute linen tapes run in 
casings and drawn into a frill of half an inch or so, and 
this terminated by a very fine hem. And so also the 
edge of the sleeve about the arm. All the sewing was 
exquisite. But this was long, long, long after. Very 
pretty Rebecca must have looked in her bridal array_, 
though a beauty she certainly was not. Her figure 
was good, of medium height and trim. She had one 
beautiful feature, the nose ; delicate, small, firm and 
straight. Her head was round, ears rather small, her 
hair a dark brown, was straight, very fine, and her 
skin w 7 as remarkable for its smoothness and fine color. 
Her cheeks ever bloomed, and the inside of her rather 
w 7 ell-formed hands was colored like the interior of a 
shell. The texture of her skin was a more extraor- 
dinary quality than its color. It had a kind of ivory 
polish, more like a sound yet delicate apple than any- 
thing else suggested — it was both so fine and firm. 
She had a low, broad brow. . Her mouth suggested 
firmness, decision ; her eye, gravity. She was quiet, 
grave, composed, modest, correct in every way, frugal, 
abstemious, industrious, conscientious, just, tender to 
weakness. 

At Salem, July 9, '99. Susan Trueblood, speaking 
of the resemblance of Sarah to her mother, Catherine, 
and especially the side of her face to her grandmother, 
said, when Sarah said, " I intend to finish this history 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 67 

this year." "There ! that is just the way Aunt Re- 
becca spoke about anything." "Can thee do it?" 
4 ' I intend to. ' ' But Sarah may add, her grandmother's 
was an expression of quietness, as well as of deter- 
mination. 

Some of the Foregoing Comparisons Tabulated. 

Rebecca, born 5-17-1787. 

Her mother died 1 2-1 5-1 791, when she was four years 

old. 
Her father married again, 1793, when she was six 

years old. 
James, of twins, born 2-27-1794, when she was seven 

years old. 
Her father died 11-2-1796, when she was nine years 

old. Also her little sister Sarah and an infant 

stepbrother same year. 
Her sister Mary's marriage (10-1801) was when she 

was 14 years old. 
Her brother Nathan married 1805, when she was 18 

years old. 
His son, John, born when she w r as 19 years old. 
His son, William, born when she was 22 years old. 
When she married, 8-1811, she was 24 years old. 
James was 17 years old. 
Mary had been married 10 years, Nathan 6. 
Benoni was 27 when married, three years older than 

Rebecca. 
When Catherine was born, 1-9-1812, he 28, she 25 

years. 
When Nixon was born, 17-3-1814, he 30, she 27 years. 
James married 10-13-1814, before 20 years old. 
His wife, Elizabeth, before 16 years old. 



68 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Away Back to the Morris Genealogy. 

Benoni was rather stout than tall, but very active. 
He had a beautiful, twinkling, large blue eye — Re- 
becca's were brown. He had rather a large head, with 
full brain. His features generally generous. He was 
a good converser, lively in wit, quite a genius in fig- 
ures, i. e. y doing in his head as it was called, not only 
constantly occurring calculations, but rapidly problems 
of considerable difficulty, such as a well remembered 
one about the hour and minute hands of a clock. He 
had but little schooling, but was a constant and careful 
reader, and had much general and accurate knowledge 
of men and things. He was generous to a fault, kind, 
loving, full of fun, guileless and yet shrewd. 

How are they mated and how will they get along ? 
She was in his eyes " fairer than all beside." He chose 
her for her integrity of character — her domestic vir- 
tues. This Benoni told to the same witness once at a 
time when they were alone traveling together ; con- 
fessing how, except for these shining intrinsic qualities, 
he might have done differently. She had never disap- 
pointed him, and he had never failed to speak her 
praise. ' ' The heart of her husband doth safely trust 
in her." — Prov. 31 : 11. 

Some Further Comparisons. 

Benoni, born 10-30-1784, had four brothers older than 
himself, and one sister who probably died young ; 
and one brother and one sister following him, as 
well as a brother and sister younger still, who died 
in infancy. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 69 

Benoni's brother Mordicai was the great worker, a 
chip of the old block, named for his father, and his 
especial pride, because following in his money-making 
ways. As he, Mordicai, Jr., was next older than 
Benoni, while there seemed, from all accounts, excel- 
lent feeling among all of them, Benoni was perhaps 
natural^ more attached to him and Anderson, the two 
nearer his own age. At least his family heard more 
about them. Joshua married when himself 22; as he 
was ten years older than Benoni, the latter was 12 at 
the time. 

Benoni was only four years younger than Thomas, 
whose second marriage in 1807 was when Benoni was 
23. Thomas himself 27 — the age Benoni was when 
he married. Both Abigail, 1st, and then Mordicai, 2d 
time, a few months after, married in 1808. Mordecai 
being 26, and Abigail 18 ; Benoni, 24. 

Joshua died two months after Benoni married. 
E. Hicks Trueblood says (4 mo. 14-99), " I think thee 
will find in my book, in the account of Joseph Henley 
and wife (Morning Anderson), that Joshua Morris, 
(thy grandfather's brother), married Margaret Henley, 
and that Thomas married Lucretia Henley, both sisters 
of my grandmother (Mary Henley Trueblood), and let 
me tell thee if they were like my grandmother they 
were very queens." 

' Their sons, about the ages of Nixon and Jeptha, 
visited Indiana later. 

Robert also gave Sarah, when she was down (at 
Salem), an instance of the prankishness of the older 
generation. Some pigs got into a corn-field. Benoni 
and Mordicai were sent by their father to drive them 



70 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

out. They would take an object, and not look till they 
got so far. But the old gentleman was generally more 
than a match for them, and they were generally, in 
spite of rogueishness, good boys. At one time some 
worms got into the corn and gave much extra trouble. 
Benoui concluded his father thought, from laziness or 
negligence, to let his alone until the worms quit. Then 
he worked his corn out all right. Each one seems to 
have had a field, and probably got the produce of that 
portion. 

Old Aaron White thought Benoni the personifica- 
tion of laziness when he saw him sewing seed on horse- 
back, " grain or grass, oats most probably." But the 
land was somewhat swampy, and Benoni fertile in 
expedients, as will be further shown. 

Robert also gave as an evidence of his suppleness of 
body : that he would lean back as far as he could and 
pick up a pin with his mouth. "Practiced till he 
could lean back on a step eight or ten inches high and 
do it." Robert added he had seen the step ; but that 
he had never seen anyone else who had attained the 
performance, except in a circus. 



Benoni Morris, son of Mordicai and Abigail Morris, 
his wife, was born 30th of 10 mo., 1784. 

Rebecca Morris, daughter of John Trueblood and 
Jemima, his wife, was born the 17th of the 5th month, 

1787. 

Benoni Morris and Rebecca Trueblood were mar- 
ried 8th mo., 1811. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 71 

Katharine Morris, daughter of Benoni and Rebecca, 
was born ist, 9 mo., 18 12, Pasquotank County, North 
Carolina. (Mother.) 

Phineas N. Morris, son of Benoni and Rebecca, was 
born 17th, 3 mo., 1814, Pasquotank. 

The histories of the three families — Nathan's, Be- 
noni's and Jimmy's — are so involved, many dates 
synchronize, or nearly so ; as the births of Catherine 
and Elizabeth (uncle Nathan's daughter), Asenath and 
Nixon, along with the death of the 2d mother (Mary), 
and the marriage of James. Their mutual interests 
must have drawn them very closely together. The 
time, however, was drawing very near when each must 
choose whether this was to continue. Some of their 
friends had already been to the Far West — Indiana. 
Some freed slaves had been sent to Philadelphia. Quiet 
but diligent preparations were being made for some 
great undertaking. Friends kept their own counsels, 
except among relatives. Were they all going ? and 
where ? 

Catharine's Early Recollection in Pasquotank. 

(Written some time in the 70's or 80's.) 

" You say you want any history of myself, and just 
here it begins, so far as I remember it: The very first 
recollection I have of myself, was a playful opposition 
of mine to some requirement of my father's, viz., the 
taking of a pinch of snuff " [followed by a seed up her 
nose]. " I suppose some one unwittingly put the fool- 
ish mischief in my mind, that might never have dawned 
there without the foolish caution. Well, I remember 
the little chair at the Dr.'s, whither my parents took 



72 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

me. I had never seen so nice a chair, and perhaps I 
hadn't. I went about with it, taking it up and hold- 
ing it in place, ready to sit down in it, when I got with 
it near mother's. My mother said I was not much 
over two years old, then." 



Will conclude the Chapter with some account of 
North Carolina Relations, Letters, etc. 

Anderson's daughter married a White — was called 
Betsey. (Sarah hopes she has this — and about the 
younger sons — right.) 

Copy of Letter. 

(Copied by permission from a letter in possession of 
E. Hicks Trueblood.) 

11 I had a letter from Mary Abigail White, of Belvi- 
dere, N. C. She says she remembers Lucretia (Hen- 
ley) Morris, but that those Morris' are none of their 
Morris crowd (she was a daughter of Anderson), and 
she knew nothing of her descendants, but she adds : 
Lucretia had another sister, Milicent, who married 
Benjamin Winslow, and died in Perquimons Co. Then 
Benjamin moved to Indiana and died in this State — 
that Milicent had two sons, John and George. John 
removed to Indiana ; she supposes he is dead, while 
George is her neighbor. ' ' 

Dempsey was one of her sons. She had living with 
her two or three younger, perhaps b}' a second mar- 
riage. Dempsey, a solid, good-looking man, com- 
pactly built, much like Benoni in that respect, not over 
average height, but of darker complexion and of grave 
turn though pleasant. He died in recent years, leav- 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 73 

ing a wife and several children. Lived at Belvidere, 
North Carolina, of course. Sarah visited them while 
in N. C. years ago. They were a loving family, and 
they named one of the twins, born soon after, " Sallie," 
for her. The oldest daughter, Mollie, is married and 
has several children. Sanders is the name. A letter 
is expected from her soon. (Sarah fears she made a 
mistake and wrote Landers instead, and that the letter 
never reached her. ) 

A letter from her before her marriage, dated Mar. 18, 
'83, is at hand. She says she has written " two letters 
and haven't received one yet, and I thought I would 
send one more." See the spontaneity and trust of the 
warm Southern heart ! ' ' Mother has two sweet little 
babies; the little girl's name is Sallie, and the boy is 
named Caleb, and I think they both are very pretty 
little babies. They are seven months old to-day. Caleb, 
he weighs 16 pounds, and Sallie, she weighs 13. Mother 
has named the little girl after thee, and she says that 
she wants thee to come here in May" [the Virginia May 
meeting is a half-year Meeting and answers for their 
Yearly Meeting], "and bring her a present." Sweet 
playfulness of their generous hearts ! "I and two of 
my brothers are going to start to school the first of 
April, and we have got a very good teacher and I hope 
we will all learn fast. School is going on till the last 
of June. It is very sickly and deathly here in this 
neighborhood. Grandmother" [that is "Betsey" 
(Morris) White, whose father was Anderson], "has 
been very sick, but is better now. She has not been 
able to attend meeting any this weather. We hear of 
some one's death every week ; sometimes two or three 



74 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

times a week." [They were on the uppermost edge 
of the Great Dismal Swamp.] " We all send our love 
to you. I must bring my letter to a close by saying 
good-by. Write soon to me. I still remain your friend, 

Mollik E. White." 

Dear girl ! No more loyal heart, in our connection, 
breathes than hers. She wrote more lately of her 
father's death — his long illness, borne with Christian 
fortitude. She also sent to Sarah a plaited lock of her 
little girl's hair, a dark auburn, and said, "they all 
thought Sallie, the namesake, 'smart'." I hope 
"Willie" takes good care of her, for the burdens of 
motherhood and her dear father's death seem to oppress 
her. She is too true a spirit to be overborne. Our 
family has too great an inheritance of gladness to give 
up to be sad, and which no old Presbyterian fatalism, 
no Scotch moodiness, or any other creature, should ever 
cause us to disavow. She spoke of the flowers, some 
place (letter mislaid ; instead, a few sentences from 
letters, written home from North Carolina about the 
times referred to, are given): 

One from New Garden, Nov. 7, '81, speaks of the 
Y. M. and a monthly Temperance meeting held at 
Springfield. Of board at New Garden Boarding School 
at 7 dollars a month! There are many noble trees 
about and mountain view. Nov. 12, '81, Bush Hill. — 
At Dr. Tomlinson's. His wife a granddaughter of 
Nathan Hunt, whose picture in oil is in this room. 
Started at 8 this morning — two miles in buggy, six 
more on cars to Greensboro, twelve on another train to 
High Point, and three in buggy here. Rain and red 
clay. Same place, Nov. 16, '81. — We have had very 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 75 

pleasant, cool weather for several days, with some frost. 
Previously we had frequent rains and of course bad 
roads. The Yearly Meeting passed very pleasantly. 
Many invitations to many places. They say it will be 
winter here before a great while, but roses, very beau- 
tiful ones, and sweet-scented violets are now blooming 
freely, and the trees are in their richest autumn foliage. 
April 19, '82, High Point. — Mary Cortland and Klihu 
Mendenhall, Yearly Meeting Committee, are also going. 
Others will be. It is a beautiful spring day. Every- 
thing is in fresh leaf. The dog-wood abundant and in 
bloom ; also fruit trees. But how far behind Florida ! 
It seemed like going from summer to winter. Raleigh, 
N. C, April 28, '82. — Dear Father : As the train waits 
I have some time for writing, and send you also a paper. 
(Am writing with my shoe blacking.^) Have been about 
a good deal, mostly in private conveyances from meet- 
ings. The cypress is in leaf, a most vivid green. 

Belvidere was within 25 miles of where Benoni was 
born. The two 2d sons of "Aunt Betsey," young 
men at home, kindly offered to take Sarah there. 

Dear Southern People ! Not only Friends, but all. 
It warms one's heart to think of them ! Their cordial 
greetings, their warm hospitality, their lavish enter- 
tainment, their closeness of kin, their instinctive polite- 
ness, their natural chivalry, their abandon of self, their 
spontaneous devotion, their contempt of shams, their 
hatred of small ways, their honesty, their freedom from 
greed, their quick forgiveness, their magnanimity ! 
Who would not have Southern blood in his veins, love 
a Southern ancestry, cling to Southern kindred, and 
call every one ' ' cousin ' ' to the remotest generation ? 



76 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

This early history was long before the war — but after? 
Was the North stung by defeats? They, the South, 
more. Who bore privations as they bore them ? Who 
endured as they endured, uncomplainingly accepting 
their lot? If the North conquered them, they con- 
quered themselves, adjusted themselves to new con- 
ditions, proved themselves equal to every emergency, 
and rose out of the ruin of their hopes, a people freed 
from inaction, delusion and monstrous wrong, to be 
the peers of any anywhere ! The Worths, and a thou- 
sand others, should be named from Sarah's grateful 
heart, that still remembers them and never will forget. 



(Copied from Eli Morris' Genealogy, because I had the 
Book, and in honor of some dear friends not otherwise par- 
ticularly mentioned: ) 

Micajah M. Binford, s. Susanna and Micajah, mar. 
Susie Binford. [There are hosts of them.] 

Susannah and Micajah, like giant forest trees, not 
to be moved, and sheltering many, many under their 
hospitable boughs. Bulwarks of the church. Serene, 
knowing the times, deep-rooted, broad. 

Their son, gifted man, disabled at present, Sarah 
thinks, partly from over-pastoring care. So many of 
our best, now-a-days, dying in their prime. Is it nec- 
essary? One might say — look at the fathers, the 
ancient worthies of our church ; and in warning — why 
shouldst thou destroy thyself? 



"Franklin Elliott m. Alida Grinuell," dau. Jere- 
miah and Martha. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 77 

Ethel, dear little girl in Bast Tennessee, when I 
taught her the little verse — 

" I must not work, I must not play, 
Upon God's holy Sabbath day," 

put her doll away, and her Aunt Mary told me when 
she asked her why? said, quoting Miss M.: "I have 
put her away to sleep until Monday. ' ' Might work and 
play so sleep of us all! The Aunt Ethel, dear, bright- 
haired, fresh-colored girl, a favorite, married — in the 
Territory — an Indian. 



Also by permission from the same : 

"Charles White, s. Mary and Caleb, m. Lucy 
Houghton," dau. William and Sally. 

Of several children, Sarah was best acquainted with 
Emma, who married White, and lived at Belve- 
dere, N. C. 

Lucy sends on faithfully, year by year, from the 
"Lone Star" State, her costly $5 subscription for 
Yearly Meeting purposes. She is a fine writer and 
natural orator, her style being highly poetic. 

William Houghton, Lucy's father, and Sarah's 
father, were warm friends. Much alike in many 
ways — scholarly, retiring men of convictions, born 
teachers. Wm. Houghton and Sam'l Pritchard were 
the stanch old Friends who recommended Sarah for 
the ministry, and ever stood loyally by her. Lucy 
slipped a dollar in her hand when she received, *. e. , 
was granted her first Minute. May she be able to re- 
turn it a hundred fold ! 



78 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

From the same : 

"James White, s. Mary and Caleb, 11-25-1858, m. 
Jemima D. Henley," dau. Eliasand Judith Mendenhall. 

Here is where Elias gets his name, who is men- 
tioned as assisting Sarah early in this compilation. 

Sybil is the daughter Sarah now knows best, though 
acquainted with both an older sister and Clara, younger. 



Also by permission, from Eli Morris' Book: 

(A specimen of persecutions, also referred to in in- 
troductory Chapter.) 

Refusing to Swear. 

"8 mo., 1660, Cheshire — Were prisoners in the 
Co. jail at West Chester, twenty of the people called 
Quakers, who had been committed thither for refusing 
the oath of allegiance, as appears by the representation 
of the case drawn up and subscribed, viz : Among 
those are Stephen Morris, Robert Pritchard, John Par- 
ker and others. In the following 11 mo., 1660, 89 
prisoners were taken for the same: Among them, 
Thomas and Robert Hatton, Bristol; 1661, Thomas 
Morris, Sarah Morris, for same offence. 

"John Morris Kent, 166a, 13 of 11 mo. 

" For the same, committed to Sandown Castle, 24- 
2, viz: Mary Morris, London, same date." 



CHAPTER V. 



The Resolve — Benoni's Choice; His Father's 
Opposition — Slavery — The Society of Friends 
— Rebecca — John Woolman (Extracts from 
His Journal) — Comparisons — John Morris and 
Children — Woolman's Influence in North 
Carolina — Margaret Albertson's Testimony 
— Hannah Parker's Testimony — Hicks True- 
blood's Testimony — Daniel Huff's Death — 
Lea's Church History (Extracts from Chap- 
ter on Slavery). 



i 8 14-15 The Resolve. 

[A Chapter which those who believe in liceiising any 
moral evil, will do well to skip.~\ 

Benoni Morris, with his wife and infant children, 
came to Indiana from the South, North Carolina being 
their native State and place of residence, in order to 
bring up their young family free from association with 
the slave system. 

This was a voluntary choice, and deliberate of exile 
on their part, and made at great apparent odds. 

Benoni's father, who continued to exercise a some- 
what patriarchal authority over the members of his 
family, even when married, opposed his going. He 
was, as we have seen, a large planter, or rather land- 
owner, for they did not raise cotton, or cane, or own 



80 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

slaves ; his convictions coinciding with the action of 
the Society of Friends, of which he was an honored 
member, looking forward to the time when they should 
be clear of the evil. 

There was not, therefore, to outward view, an 
immediate pressing necessity for taking so radical a 
step as Benoni contemplated, especially as his father 
had assisted his sons, at least, of whom there were six, 
to considerable self -maintenance. 

The Society of Friends in North Carolina, especially 
in the southeastern portion, were in close association 
with Friends in Maryland and Virginia, now becoming 
powerful in numbers, and highly regarded by others 
for their probity and peaceableness. Harmonious, dif- 
fering, if they did, in loving spirit, and closely knit 
together by ties of kindred and marriage, as well as 
religious fellowship. Their lands were well improved, 
their houses were good, the soil was very rich, the 
surface admirable for cultivation, the climate was of 
the best ; they were prosperous, and at peace with the 
world. What could eye or heart desire more ? But by 
association they were everywhere connected with the 
slave system. The process of getting rid of slaves was 
often necessarily tedious, delicate and difficult. The 
Society of Friends had acted and were acting too fast 
or too slow with those who still possessed them, as the 
matter of immediate, unconditional surrender — though 
the term was not used then, nor generally even thought 
of — was personally passed upon an enlightened or 
unenlightened mind, a conscientious or a greedy one. 
Gradual manumission was as far as the most astute or 
far-seeing statesman had yet dreamed of. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 81 

"The irrepressible conflict," though not then so 
called — for opinions of more than half a century had 
to crystalize these expressions — was not only then on, 
which was to be waged for so many }^ears and end in 
so much blood, but deepening. 

The peculiar Institution, so its advocates said — 
though Friends by no means generally agreed with 
them — was God-given and Bible defended. But the 
baleful possession of this sort of chattel, or even will- 
ing association with it, produced a squint in the moral 
vision similar to that effected by any sort of counte- 
nance of the license or local option system. 

It was becoming more and more difficult by the 
laws of the State to free slaves. Their moral and in- 
tellectual condition was deplorable. Even to teach 
them to read was soon objected to. Painful scenes 
were continually^ witnessed, piercing to the soul, and 
sharp decisions had to be taken, as when a young man 
— a slave — entreated young Benoni Morris, then about 
to leave, to buy him. Benoni at one time told Sarah 
the incident, and that he spent a great part of a night 
in the woods alone over the case. Not only were ties 
of kindred to be severed, and that under a loved father's 
disapprobation, but a forsaking of comforts, ease, com- 
petence, which would have been comparatively trivial 
to Benoni alone, but to be well balanced when it in- 
cluded the well-being of wife and infant children. It 
meant a giving up all the certainties of long-established 
usage, a breaking from the sweets of neighborliness, so 
dear in primitive rural districts ; and the sacred Meet- 
ing, where relatives and chosen friends had their pre- 
cious communings in company, where they had given 



82 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

in marriage, and together mourned and buried their 
dead. 

The wife doubtless concurred, and it is more than 
probable, judging from the composition of justice and 
mercy so clearly compounded in her character, and her 
associations, that she was a determining force in the 
decision. But her husband must still think for her, 
and with additional care, as she was willing, desirous, 
determined to make the sacrifice. 

To give up all then ; to take that wife and babes 
from these native home surroundings, not to return, 
upon a long, perilous journey, necessarily full of dis- 
comforts and privations ; to risk encounter with wild 
animals and wilder Indian, and if they reached their 
new home — which they had to make — alive and in 
safety, to be still subject to dangers alone. To work 
hard in an uncongenial, sometimes rigorous climate, 
and with soil comparatively poor ; to deliberately con- 
demn a refined lady, though true woman, and their off- 
spring, if they lived, to a life of toil and meagre re- 
turns ; to have no suitable house until it was built ; no 
school near, or meeting, or home, or farm, until they 
were made, all for an idea. Was it right, or could flesh 
endure it if it was ? But pioneers were made of tough 
fibre, body and soul ; and the dark cloud was even then 
portentiously rising, girt with the distant yet approach- 
ing thunders and lightnings of the Almighty's wrath. 
The slave market with its chains ; the overseer and his 
hunters and dogs and whip ; the buyer and seller, and 
the tears and groans of an outraged people, and the 
temptations to the young to lust and greed, not seen 
so much in the gentle Quaker community in their more 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 83 

desperate phases, but near at hand, at Elizabeth City 
and on the coast, and felt nevertheless everywhere, 
made the young man's resolve firm to flee as for his life. 



Some measures had been taken by the Society in 
general, in their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, 
guarded utterances were advanced, and the time was 
drawing near when, as a Society, they were to be, not 
only collectively, but individually, clear of the evil. 
Among others, John Woolman was prominent in pro- 
test. He had been able in drawing up valuable instru- 
ments of writings to the purpose in Philadelphia Yearly 
Meeting, as well as in New England and the South. 
His influence was everywhere felt, gentle, powerful, 
pervasive as the dew. 

* John Woolman, 1720-1772, aged 52. 

It is interesting to notice, in John Woolman's Jour- 
nal, with its 



' ' Gel the writirigs of John 
Woolman by heart." 

Charles Lamb. 



And its Introduction of fifty pages, by John G. Whit- 
tier, who, in bringing it to a close, says, "its prepara- 
tion has been to me a labor of love." It is interesting 
to notice that his labors, especially in Maryland, Vir- 
ginia and North Carolina, may have been among the 
chief of potent, though long silent causes for produc- 



* The selections from John Woolman's Journal are by 
permission of Houghton, Mifflin & Co., the Publishers. 



84 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

ing the feeling of uneasiness — they said "uneasement" 
— among Friends, respecting the system of slavery, 
which resulted in the extraordinary immigration to 
Indiana ; and it is affecting, to one who has been over 
some of that ancestral ground, to know that his foot- 
steps also preceded those easier taken since the Civil 
War. That perhaps, and in all probability, his very 
voice and words and sweetness of demeanor led some 
of earlier kindred blood to consider the subject of 
slavery in the light of the Golden Rule. That he also 
sat in some of those very Meetings, overshadowed by the 
broodings of the Holy Spirit, and baptized into suffer- 
ing in silence with an oppressed people, was enabled 
afterwards to speak to his weighty concern when it 
came up in the business meeting, and without offense 
to many a private ear and heart. For he mentioned 
Perquimins, where they had several large meetings, 
and Symons Creek, and writes an epistle to New Gar- 
den, and names Little River and other meetings and 
places strangely familiar. 

Thrilling thought ! that the very blessings now 
enjoyed by the descendants of tender hearts there, are, 
in part, the result of the faithfulness of this heavenly 
spirit, who was courageous when it cost to be so, and 
with equal delicacy and firmness and the availing power 
of love, witnessed for the truth on error's ground. 
Some account of his concern and how he was led will 
be thought germane to our subject, as intimately con- 
nected with those who had to make the important 
moral decision for themselves. 

He had gone through , considerable personal expe- 
rience with the slave problem from the time he was a 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 85 

young man, in another's employ, until he began trav- 
eling as a minister, with that as a special concern. 

He relates that when he was a young man, and 
clerk to a small storekeeper at Mt. Holly, New Jersey, 
that he wrote, at his employer's desire, though he 
" felt uneasy at the thought," a bill of conveyance of 
a negro woman, whom his employer had sold to an 
elderly Friend. However, "the man was waiting. 
The thing was sudden." He remembered he was 
hired by the year, "so, through weakness," he says, 
" I gave way," but he "was so afflicted" in his mind 
that he declared to them against the practice as incon- 
sistent with the Christian religion. "I should have 
been clearer," he added, "if I had desired to be 
excused from it, as a thing against my conscience ; 
for such it was. ' ' 

And incases of writing Wills, though with beauti- 
ful forbearance he maintains his ground, and with a 
single partial exception, which seemed to lie dormant 
many years, but later cost his tender spirit dear, he 
will have nothing to do with fastening the chains of 
slavery. Thus equipped, and pressed by the Spirit, he 
began his ministry. Any moral reform, as Temper- 
ance, Treatment of the Indians, Peace, was sure to find 
in him a helper, but especially the holding in Jxmdage 
of his fellow-men appealed most powerfully to his mer- 
ciful spirit. After he had labored abundantly, trav- 
eled among Indians in time of war, and in the South 
much on foot, paying for his entertainment to wealthy 
planters in small pieces of silver, which he had pro- 
vided that he might not partake of slave labor without 
cost ; doing all with such angelic meekness no one 



86 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

could be offended, and in every way, in tears and con- 
trition in meetings, in burdened silence, and faithful 
searching individual appeal, bearing his humble yet 
undaunted testimony against the evil ; he found as his 
"meditations have been on universal love," his own 
"conduct in times past" became "of late very griev- 
ous" to him. He had assisted a Friend in executing 
the Will of a deceased Friend, in which a slave was 
involved. He was in "abasement of heart," on ac- 
count of it, with his "heart exercised towards that 
awful Being who respecteth not persons or colors." 
The "transaction came heavily" upon him, and his 
mind, "for a time, was covered with darkness and 
sorrow." " Under this sore affliction" his mind "was 
softened, to receive instruction." He made pecuniary 
reparation that set his mind at rest. 

These instances are given, to show something of his 
beautiful style, tenderness of spirit, and the clearness 
of his convictions. When he was next applied to, his 
lovely character has the fairer showing, as he has no 
further trouble with himself. In his first visit South, 
he says, " I saw in these Southern provinces so many 
vices and corruptions increased by this trade and this 
way of life, that it appeared to me as a dark gloominess 
hanging over the land ; and though now many wil- 
lingly run into it, yet in future the consequence will be 
grievous to posterity. I express it as it hath appeared 
to me, not once or twice, but as a matter fixed on my 
mind." In his second visit he speaks of "Slaves as a 
burdensome stone to such as burden themselves with 
them;" and adds, "I believe that burden will grow 
heavier and heavier until times change in a way disa- 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 87 

greeable to us. ' ' The one to whom he was speaking 
"owned that, in considering their condition and the 
manner of their treatment in these provinces, he had 
sometimes thought it might be just in the Almighty so 
to order it." 

Some who were then young became influential in 
measures taken by the Society, in general, towards the 
betterment and final release of slaves, in all of which 
John Woolman had a great share. A letter to Friends 
on the Continent of America precedes the one to New 
Garden Monthly Meeting, and was sent as an Epistle 
from the Philadelphia and New Jersey Spring Meeting. 
It is, in general terms, respecting ' ' disentanglements — 
that no earthly possessions may bias our judgments." 
The one to New Garden has a direct appeal to youth, 
but preceding it, "He found an engagement," in a 
meeting of ministers and elders, "to speak freely and 
plainly to them concerning their slaves ; mentioning 
how they, as the first rank in the Society, whose con- 
duct in that case was much noticed by others, were 
under the stronger obligations to look carefully to them- 
selves." In the letter, he says, "While I write, the 
youth come fresh in my way. Dear young people, 
choose God for your portion ; love his truth, and be 
not ashamed of it ; choose for your company such as 
serve him in righteousness, and shun as most dangerous 
the conversation of those whose lives are of an ill savor. 
In the bloom of youth no ornament is so lovely as that 
of virtue, etc." A concluding passage in respect to 
the part some had already taken: " I have been in- 
formed," he writes, "that there is a large number of 
Friends in your parts who have no slaves, and, in ten- 



88 OUT OF NORTH QAROLINA 

der and most affectionate love, I beseech you to keep 
clear from purchasing any." And, again, " When we 
look toward the end of life, and think on the division 
of our substance among our successors, if we know it 
was collected in the fear of the Lord, in honesty, in 
equity, and in uprighteousness of heart before him, we 
may consider it his gift to us, and with a single eye to 
his blessing, bestow it on those we leave behind us." 
Such was the sweet teaching of John Woolman falling 
on good ground. 

Before quitting the subject and taking our leave of 
him, a comparison of a few dates may be found inter- 
esting. 

The oldest child of John Morris^ and of whom we 
have a particular account, was Aaron, born 1704. 
Married 1724, when he was a little over twenty. He 
died in 1770, something over 65 years of age. John 
Woolman was born sixteen years after Aaron's birth, 
1772, surviving him only two years. When we con- 
sider his (Woolman's) active, meaning public or 
known work, it comes very nearly within this life-time. 
It was in 1746 when he made his first visit South, and 
speaks of " Perquimins, where they had several large 
meetings, and found some openness in those parts, and 
a hopeful appearance amongst the young people. ' ' He 
was himself only 26, and it is highly probable that 
Aaron, who was 42 at the time, and his large family 
attended those meetings, so that his children were 
among the young people mentioned. He married very 
young. Of the ten children, the youngest may have 
been born, while the oldest shown by the Record was 
over sixteen. Woolman's next visit, made in 1757, 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 89 

would greatly deepen the impressions earlier received 
by all of the saintly man. And the whole action of 
Friends as a Society, clearing itself of Slavery, was 
included during this period of John Woolman's rather 
short life. So great a work was one commissioned 
spirit attent to the inward Voice able to accomplish in 
so limited a time. Be sure the Morris family have 
deep personal obligation and reason for thankful praise 
to Almighty God for John Woolman. And if they, 
the Truebloods, Albertsons, Newbys, Nixons, Whites, 
Henleys and hosts of others. 

Margaret Albertson's Testimony. 

"My father and mother came to Indiana from North 
Carolina in the year 1814 (5), and left there on account 
of slavery. They felt it to be a great undertaking, and 
many of their friends discouraged them, but they be- 
lieved it to be right and pushed forward, and landed 
safely on free soil, and the blessings of the Lord re- 
warded their labors. I think they inherited slaves and 
freed them. They took a son of one of the slaves, who 
used to belong in the family, to Indiana with them, 
and he stayed with them as long as he lived. I can 
remember him. He died with consumption, and is 
buried in our cemetery at old Blue River, and we intend 
that his grave shall be kept in order while we live, and 
leave it with the rest of our families, for our children 
and grandchildren to take care of, after we are gone.' 

Will God forget, either that grave or those who 
befriended the poor lad ? 



90 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

(Extract from Hannah M. Parker's Letter, Knightstown, 2d 

mo. 13th, 1899.) 

I have been trying to call up the families left of our 
aged friends, nearly all of whom emigrated from North 
Carolina, and I think nearly all came on account of 
slavery. 

(Notice of Daniel Huff' s death, furnished by Ada, and copied 

at Salem, July 10.) 

Daniel Huff died at his home in Fountain City, yes- 
terday, at the age of eighty-three. With a single 
exception, Mr. Huff was the last survivor of the famous 
group of men who assisted Levi Coffin in his ' ' under- 
ground railroad" work. He personally assisted nearly 
three thousand fugitive slaves to escape to Canada. 
Daniel Huff married Emily Nixon, a sister of William 
Penn Nixon and Dr. Oliver Nixon, of the Chicago Inter- 
Ocean. Dr. O. N. Huff, of Chicago, is his son. — 
Indianapolis Journal (Hagerstown Correspondent), 
July 7- 

Cousin Ol(iver) Nixon writes or wrote previously : 

" If our brother, Daniel Huff, of Newport, Ind.," 
(now Fountain City) "recovers from his serious ill- 
ness — : which is doubtful — he could tell you about the 
Underground Railroad and its actors. He has written 
much in regard to it, and takes great'delight in it." 

[Sarah lost an opportunity when visiting them years 
ago]. 

Daniel Huff, of Fountain City, this county, died 
this morning. He was eighty-three years old. Mr. 
Huff was one of the prominent men of this county. 
He was a native of North Carolina, coming to this 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 91 

county with his parents when but three years old. He 
was closely associated with Levi Coffin in the work of 
freeing slaves, and together they had charge of the 
underground railway system that was responsible for 
thousands of blacks being spirited away to the Cana- 
dian border. — Indianapolis News (Richmond Corre- 
spondent), July 6.) 

(Of Levi Coffin, whose great coadjutor he was, 
more some other time. ) 



(From E. Hicks Trueblood's Letter.) 

Hitchcock, Ind., 2-28-93. 

My father's stand against using the products of 
slavery was from conviction, that he would that much 
countenance the evil. Why his fine sugar grove was 
spared in the great storm of '60, of course I could not 
say. 

[ Thou shalt not be afraid for the destruction that 
wasteth at noonday. — Ps. pi: 6. O give God the 
glory.] 

Robert Cathcart recommended to Sarah's perusal, 
Studies in Church History, by Henry C. Lea, which 
he had "with the compliments of the Author." She 
accordingly made some extracts from the last chapter, 
The Early Church and Slavery. 

P. 523. (Of Christ.) "When he proclaimed the 
principle of the Golden Rule. — When St. Paul bade 
Philemon to take back the fugitive Onesimus, not as a 
slave, but above a slave, a brother beloved ; when he 
ordered masters to grant justice and equity to slaves for 
the sake of the Master of all, the rules were laid down, 



92 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

which, conscientiously followed, must render slavery 
finally impossible among Christians." 

P. 524. " The world into which Christianity was born 
recognized slavery everywhere. Practiced by all races 
from time immemorial, permitted by all religions, reg- 
ulated by all codes, it was apparently an institution as 
inseparable from society as the relationship of parent 
and child. 

" It is worth while to cast a glance at slaver) 7 as it 
existed in Rome. In Rome, as elsewhere, slavery had 
its origin in war. Slavery was not regarded as the 
natural portion of any race or people. As Ulpian ex- 
presses it, 'although by the (p. 225) civil law slaves 
were nothing, yet by natural law all men were equal.' 
Freedom was virtually imprescriptible. In the earlier 
ages of the empire, the freeman who was his own mas- 
ter could in no way be reduced to slavery. Even if he 
sold himself into servitude, the bargain could not be 
enforced." 

P. 526. ' ' A woman could only be reduced to slavery 
by marrying a slave and refusing to leave him. Doubt- 
ful points were construed in favor of freedom. Her 
child was free if she had been free any moment. Slav- 
ery was merely a creature of the law, and the law was 
held in all cases to favor the natural right of freedom." 

These things were in the early times. 

" Cruelty increased as danger from large numbers 
of captives increased." 

(Christian Practice, p. 537.) "The liberation of 
slaves and of martyrs, condemned for the faith, was 
classed in the same category." 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 93 

P. 538. (St. Ambrose on Joseph.) " That the only 
slavery to be dreaded is that of the passions; for sin is 
the real servitude, and innocence the only freedom." 

(St. Augustine.) "There was no belief in the 
modern idea that the posterity of Ham were to be per- 
petually in bondage. The sacrifice of Christ was held 
to have released them. Slaves were called brothers," 
(p- 539) "and considered equals. The authority of 
the master was to be exercised as a parent over his 
children. The slave was admitted as a witness. Cruelty 
reprobated in the strongest manner, even to the extent 
of refusing the oblations of harsh masters — which was 
tantamount to excommunication — as gifts coming from 
those hateful to God, and as unfit to be used in min- 
istering to the wants of the widow and the orphan. 
Marriage was regarded as binding ; masters, under pain 
of excommunication, to provide spouses, etc. Regular 
prayers were offered in the Iyitany for brethren endur- 
ing the hardships of servitude. No master was allowed 
to make them work more than five days in the week, 
both Saturday and Sunday being days of rest, and 
numerous additional holidays were allowed them, etc. 
Under Constantine (p. 542), a slave could be liberated 
at the altar." 

Not space or time to pursue this interesting subject 
of history. What has been given is to show, by con- 
trast, how the institution in our late times did out- 
Herod Herod, so to speak, in many respects. 

Sarah read, about the same time, Tolstoi's Sebas- 
topol, a terrible lesson in war; in this proved, with its 
other abominations and cruelties, to be the parent of 
human slavery. 



CHAPTER VI. 



The Henley Letter — Marriage Certificate of 
James and E. Trueblood — Western Annals — 
Treaties — The Indian Girl — The Exodus — 
Uncle Nathan's Start — Patience — Letters 
of Margaret Albertson — Their Home Life — 
Aunt Mary Overman — Comments. 



Somehow the Henley Letter seems to Sarah to con- 
vey more than appears on the surface. The Under- 
ground Railroad was not yet in operation, but for all 
that, confidential friends opposed to slavery may have 
had something understood among them that the oli- 
garchy were not to know. 

Louisville, Ky., July 6, 1814. 

Resp'ed Friend, James Trueblood : 

I take the first opportunity of informing thee of my 
safe arrival at this place, after a very disagreeable jour- 
ney of 52 days, and am now living in this town, a very 
flourishing place on the falls of the Ohio, where one 
may see in sight five towns at once. For business this 
place exceeds all that I ever saw. Was it not so very 
sickly, no industrious man need to work more than five 
or six years to make his fortune. The common sales 
of a store in this place are 4000$ p.' we. in cash, then 
about 12 stores in the place. All mechanics may do 
well here. 






KG 

> 

a 
o 

93 
t P3 

P5 



H 

as 



c 



.r 



o 
o 




OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 95 

The country is rich and fertile, far exceeding any 
other I ever saw. The new towns of New Albany and 
Jeffersonville grow very fast. There is in New Albany 
about 50 houses, three stores, a steam mill nearly com- 
pleted, two saddle shops, a taylor, two blacksmiths and 
two taverns. 

New Albany will probably be a rival town of Louis- 
ville in time. All the people near this place that moved 
from Elizabeth City are selling off, some going to 
White river & some to Driftwood, where the land is 
said to be better than ever before discovered. Tell thy 
brother Nathan that a man with his capital in this 
place might double it every year in merchandizing or 
in speculating in land. Caleb Trueblood and Jacob 
Morris arrived here 8 days after we did, and all 
well, but Jacob's wife is dissatisfied. As for me, I am 
satisfied with the country, but if I was in Elizabeth City, 
and knew the roads as I do now, I might remain there. 
We expect to move to Driftwood or White river County 
soon. Dorcas is well at this time. Please remember 
me to Father and Mother and family, Nathan True- 
blood and family, and other inquiring friends. I hope 
these lines will find thee and thy good mother well. 
Tell Nathan and my Father I would never attempt to 
move here in their own wagons. I close and remain 

Thy friend, 

J. Henley Trueblood. 



96 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Marriage Certificate of James and Elizabeth 
(Betsey) Truebeood 13TH of ioth Mo., 1814. 

Whereas James Trueblood, son of John and Mary 
Trueblood of the County of Pasquotank and State of 
North Carolina ; and Betsey Trueblood daughter of 
Joshua and Mary Trueblood of the same place ; having 
declared their intentions of marriage with each other 
before a Monthly Meeting of Friends held at Symons 
Creek in the County and State aforesaid, and after due 
inquiry nothing appearing to hinder, were allowed by 
said meeting to proceed — Now these are to certify 
whom it may concern, — That for the full accomplish- 
ment of their said intentions this thirteenth day of 
tenth month, in the year of our Lord one thousand 
eight hundred and fourteen, they the said James True- 
blood and Betsey Trueblood appeared at a publick 
meeting of Friends at the Narrows meeting house in 
the county aforesaid, near the close of which, the said 
James taking the said Betsey Trueblood by the hand 
did declare as followeth, (or to this effect). I take this 
my Friend Jtetsey Trueblood to be my wife, promis- 
ing through Divine assistance to be unto her a loving 
and faithful husband untill death separate us. And 
the said Betsey Trueblood did in like manner declare 
as followeth, (or to this effect). I take this my Friend 
James Trueblood to be my husband, promising with 
Divine assistance to be unto him a loving and faithful 
wife until death separates us. 

And as a further confirmation thereof they the 
said James Trueblood and Betsey Trueblood did to 



OUT X)F NORTH CAROLINA 97 

these presents set their hands. She according to cus- 
tom of marriage, assuming the name of her husband. 

James Trueblood. 
Betsey Trueblood. 

We, whose names are here subscribed were present 
at the solemnization of the above marriage. 

Isaac Overman Joshua Trueblood 

Isbel Overman Mary Trueblood 

Abel Trueblood Thomas Morris 

Eliza Carter N. Trueblood 

John Parisho Mary Overman 

Marcey Parisho Jehosaphat Morris 

Nathan Parisho Peggey Morris 

John Tooley Nathan Morris 

Jhos. Trueblood Ann Morgan 

Jorden Hanley Joshua Perisho 

Thos. Overman Elizabeth Perisho 
William Trueblood, 

"A good day's work!" the rose-colored pencil 
writes as the inward comment of Grandfather Joshua, 
Mother Mary was gone. Shaky the hands of many 
from age. The bride's from timidity. The young 
man would now go North, not to be a wanderer and 
possibly beguiled ; but that could hardly be thought, 
probably was not of " Jimmy " a teacher, rare qualifica- 
tion in those days, and supposed to embrace all excel- 
lences — but to form a home. 



Western Annals. 

(919-20-21 pp.) The war of 1812 was over, and 
on the 24th of December, 1812, the Treaty of Ghent 



98 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

was signed by the representatives of England and the 
United States. Also the next year the treaties with the 
various Indian tribes of the west and northwest gave 
quiet and security to the frontiers once more. 

"The war being over, and the Indian tribes of the 
Northwest being deprived of their distinguished British 
ally, and having consented" [the conquered always 
"consent," if they choose to live], " to be at peace, 
confidence was restored to the frontier settlements, and 
immigration again began to pour into the forests and 
prairies." 

11 A careful examination will enable every unpreju- 
diced person to perceive that the course of procedure on 
the part of the government of the United States with 
the aborigines of the northern portion (then) of our 
country, has been highly beneficent, paternal and lib- 
eral. The United States might have enforced remu- 
neration, but the language of each treaty is ' that every 
injury or act of hostility shall be forgiven and forgot.' " 

Wonderful magnanimity ; for they meant it after 
all their outrageous wrongs of body, mind and estate. 
Nothing under similar circumstances more affecting 
ever came from human lips than the closing words of 
the Earlham ^Indian girl's Oration, " Thy people shall 
be my people, and thy God my God." 

This young lady, as many of us know, Gertrude 
Simmons, and the oration referred to, gained the 2d 
place in the intercollegiate contest, held in Indianapolis, 
March 13, 1896. 



* " Sitkala Sa," her Indian name, meant " Red Bird." 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 99 

The Exodus. 

The stork knoweth in the heaven her appointed times; 
the turtle (dove) and the crane and the swallow observe the 
time of their coming. — Jer. 8: 7. 

As an eagle stirreth (tareth) up her nest, fluttereth over 
her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth 
them on her wings. 

The Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god 
with him.— Deut. 32: 11, 12. 

I will hiss (the Oriental call) for them, and gather them ; 
for I have redeemed them, and they shall increase as they 
have increased. — Zech. 10: 8. 

Who can account for the mysterious impulse, which 
acts upon the human soul with so powerful an influence 
that it suddenly relinquishes its lifetime habitudes, and 
impelled by a force akin to that of instinct in lower 
animals, seeks in new lands and surroundings a home ? 
The historian says, " The campaigns served as explora- 
tions of new and fertile countries, and opened the way 
for thousands of hardy pioneers and the formation of 
settlements," and points out the events and conditions, 
which are the forerunners of the new resolve in immi- 
gration. But when all is said, who can account for 
the power which acts in conjunction with all these, and 
gives the one who has seen the finger of Time's guide- 
board pointing west, or north, or wheresoever, the 
whisper, " It is thy time to arise and be gone." Only 
a reverent acknowledgment that the Omnipotent God, 
who shapes concurring providences, also turns human 
hearts towards them, and prospers movers of deeds 
who act at His word ; who refuse to say, with the 
sluggard, "There is a lion in the way," when they 
L.ofC. 



100 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

have heard his call to start, who refuse to parley and 
delay on account of clouds, when it is the time to sow. 
That campaigns acted as parties of exploration, is 
true, but indirectly so. We have seen that a great 
portion at first were criminals — desperate characters — 
but what impelled the few chosen forerunners, who 
went in advance before things were ready for the many, 
to blaze the way, as it were, by their adventurous first 
departures, for others often more hardy than them- 
selves, less timid and more daring by nature? Who 
gave that push and enduring energy which nothing 
could restrain, nothing dishearten or wear out? Only 
the Divine hand in human affairs ; only an over-ruling 
Providence that shapes events can rightly explain con- 
dition and time and man suiting together in these 
mighty changes, and strange, yea, wonderful results. 
And, as it is the multiplicity of little things which con- 
tributes to the great, shall we not acknowledge that He, 
who is over all, has an intimate acquaintance with the 
minutiae of any great work he has in charge? That 
He is interested in all its details to the least particular, 
and especially in man, for whom all things are made, 
and who is of Himself? That in every thought and 
feeling of the human heart He has a part, and while 
seldom compelling, He does guide, encourage and bless 
His obedient, attentive, faithful child? This seems the 
easy, natural way of thinking, and is also agreeable to 
the teaching of the Book which is the Revelation of 
His will. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 101 

Uncle Nathan's Start. 

(AH mistakes to be laid to the Rose-Colored Pencil.) 

1815. 

More than one little grave was left behind forever. 
Companions of youth ; ancestral dust ; sweet com- 
munion with kindred and life-associates ; exchanging 
all the familiar for the unknown ; entering a great and 
terrible wilderness, through which savage tribes had 
lately wildly roamed, and whose remnants of them 
might still be lurking ; a mighty Preserve, inhabited 
by they knew not what of wild beast ; with many an 
uncertain river without bridge to cross ; as a rule, with 
no roads, and many an unforeseen peril to encounter ; 
for the mother and babes to endure stress of weather 
without other shelter, and to be months, weeks at the 
best, upon their lonesome, devious way. Two words — 
11 Away!" and "The North!" express the impelling 
power of a mighty fear and an unconquerable resolu- 
tion. Thus they go. The great white canvass covered 
wagons are ready, piled high with household goods and 
provisions, farming implements, and personal furnish- 
ings for years to come ; but a place is made in the 
easiest conveyance and in the best place for Patience's 
Parlor Rocking Chair. In it she sits, comfortable little 
body, smiling, sweet, resolute, with her sweet babe, 
Asceneth, in her arms. John, the reliable oldest, near 
at hand. The little vivacious William, awed by the 
leave-taking and all the wonderful preparations and 
array, is stilled for once. Their adored little sister, 
the angelic little Elizabeth, is there, as ever, in a place 
near by. 



102 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Seated, composed and serene, was Aunt Mary Over- 
man, in her young widowhood, tall, comely and ever 
helpful. To the tender brother and his dear sister wife 
she had, in effect, most probably in the very words 
said: " Intreat me not to leave thee or return from 
following after thee, for whither thou goest I will go ; 
and where thou lodgest I will lodge ; thy God shall be 
my God, thy people shall be my people ; where thou 
diest, I will die, and there will I be buried ; the Lord 
do so to me also, if aught but death part thee and me! " 

Near by sat Polly Cooper, whom the Scotch would 
have called "a sonsie lassie," and who stayed with them 
until she was married. And along with all, driving 
one of the wagons, or carts, but when not otherwise 
employed, keeping ever near Nathan and the women 
and children, the son of the freed slave. God-protected 
company! They had perhaps an umbrella ; no such 
things as overshoes were known, or rubber waterproofs, 
but they were abundantly supplied with stout clothing 
throughout. There were long ample Camlet cloaks 
that kept in warmth, and would turn water, and stand 
any amount of mud and weather. Cowhide boots that 
reached to or above the knees, and stout shoes, or leg- 
gins for service on horseback. Thick mittens and 
buckskin gloves, if needed. Plenty of flannel and lin- 
sey ; with wagons and horses and saddle-bags — every- 
thing that could not be better secured farther on ; 
every utensil for household service, with carpet and 
matting and oil-cloth, and chairs and tables and high 
poster bedsteads and cradle — it was convenient to 
Patience's chair ; and bales of cotton and wool, and 
spinning wheels, great and small, and mirrors and can- 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 103 

dlesticks and snuffers, and big castor and its accora- 
panyings, and waiters and silver carefully wrapped 
away, except the baby's spoon and one for medicine ; 
and andirons and fender, and coarser kitchen ones of 
iron called "dog-irons," with crane and steelyards and 
pots, pans and skillets. Apparently inexhaustible sup- 
plies of bedding of all sorts ; patched quilts of marvel- 
ous designs, but never a "crazy" among them; the 
linen sheeting of different weavings ; the wrought and 
woven coverlets ; the big feather beds ; the blankets, 
thick and thin ; the webs of toweling, coarse and fine, 
and of working wear, most of all of home manufacture; 
the china, the Delf-ware, all the substantial crockery 
service. What was there they had not? Quilting 
frames, loom, reeler; Peafowl feather fly brushes, gor- 
geous in their long sweep ; and pressed turkey wings 
and other fans, the big palm leaf, and brushes and 
brooms of various kinds and many different sizes. 
Everything useful, good, pleasant, suitable, was theirs. 
And so in company with others, as well or less equip- 
ped, they go not as the children of Israel — seeing the 
guiding pillar of cloud by day, of fire by night — but 
by faith, as seeing Him who is invisible. 

In closest compass, in carefulest secure packing, 
with these multifarious goods the wagons are laden ; 
but there is room for Patience's little Parlor Rocking 
Chair, and a little space free about her. Around it, 
for around her, the household might be said to revolve. 
She is queen of her realm, center of the home, as she 
rocks her babe to sleep, or the children cluster, when 
other resources fail, at her knees — her feet. She takes 
them in turn in her mother arms ; there is no pillow so 



104 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

sweet as her breast. There is always room for her 
tender-caring husband to seat himself beside her, taking 
lovingly her hand, and as they are about to lose sight 
of those who strain their eyes to still see them, the 
farewells having been all long spoken, he perhaps say- 
ing, ' Thou dost not repent? " " Neither do I." 

And, again, after some danger past, "Thou hast 
not repented yet? " " Neither have I." 

And, again, "I shall not repent until thou dost." 
" Then, thou wilt never!" 

" The heart of her husband safely trusteth in her — 
she shall do him good — all the days of his life." — 
Bible. 

Margaret's Correspondence. 

In her letter, Margaret says: "We are pleased 
with it, and think it interesting and correct, and do 
hope thee will be favored" [Divine aid is meant by 
this expression among Friends] , "to finish satisfac- 
torily." — March 3-29-99. 

Again, "We feel deeply interested in the make-up 
of this Biography, so any and everything pertaining to 
it is eagerly read. Do wish I could help or give thee 
more material to work from- — I say we, because Mari- 
anna is as much interested as I am " [In reference to 
a picture of the place] , ' ' but unless we can get some 
of the grandchildren interested enough to see to it, I 
don't know how we can get it done." She speaks of 
"Joseph, he was confined to his bed again, and Wil- 
liam long since quit — retired from business on account 
of his deafness, but she will try and see what she can do 
by writing." And " has letters for them, waiting for 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 105 

the Postman, urging all to lend a helping hand in this 
work thou hast undertaken, and is trying so faithfully 
to carry out to completion. I think that all the kin- 
dred ought to feel interested in having a record kept 
of our loved ancestry, of whom we can be so justly 
proud ; to honor their memory and strive to imitate 
their example, and try to follow them as they followed 
Christ." * * * "I always think," she says, "the 
Mothers ought to come in fully equal with the Fathers 
in real life and History. Don't hesitate to tell us when 
there is any thing or way in which we can help, even 
a very little, for I don't consider anything trouble that 
is helping us to help others. For I have long felt it is 
the little things that I am to see after, and try to be a 
gleaner after the great workers. ' ' 

Again she expresses regret : 

"I do wish I had written things down when the 
dear ones w r ere here to tell us. I have mother's small 
rocking chair that they fixed in the middle of the 
wagon for her to sit in. Perhaps thee may remember 
it by the open fireplace at home. They lived in a small 
house until they built, which I think they were soon 
able to do, and lived there the remainder of their days. 
Mother said the woods were so thick that she was 
afraid for the children to go out of sight for fear they 
would get lost. What a noble example our dear 
parents and grandparents have set for us! May we be 
as willing to endure hardships and privation for the 
good of others as they were. They felt that they 
wanted to get away from slavery and raise their chil- 
dren in a land of freedom, and they found their reward. ' ' 



106 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

In another letter, dated "Kansas City, Mo., 3-7, 
1899," she says : " When I try to put my thoughts on 
paper, I often compare it to a brush heap — plenty of 
thoughts, but not enough order or connection." 

[The rose-colored pencil, if it had feeling, would 
have a fellow-feeling here. It has a leaning, as it were, 
in that direction] . 

" If I could talk to thee, verbally, I might be able 
to give thee enough fragments to glean a little from, 
but, as that cannot be, I will try again to do the next 
best thing, as I feel that some of us children, especially, 
ought to keep the blessed memory of our dearly loved 
Father and Mother alive, not only in our own hearts, 
but speak of their kind acts, noble deeds and faithful 
labors, so they may be known and their example fol- 
lowed by their descendants. I did not feel at all sat- 
isfied with the letter I wrote thee, for I felt then, and 
do now, that something of their worthy, useful lives 
ought to be left on record, which would live and be a 
stimulus to others after we are gone, but thought my 
dear brothers, William and Joseph, could do it much 
better and fuller than I can, that I left it, but after 
thinking still more about it and not knowing that they 
will do it, I will venture to speak of a few things as I 
go back in memory. But let me say, right here, that 
I do not wish thee to include anything in thy Biography 
that is not suitable or best that I send. 

"Amongst my earliest recollections is that our house 
was a kind of Mecca, where relatives, friends and ac- 
quaintances, rich or poor, high or low, learned or un- 
learned, were all cordially welcomed, hospitably treated 
and entertained. Traveling ministers often made that 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 107 

retreat their headquarters, and were cared for by wil- 
ling hands and loving hearts. In those days they had 
to travel by private conveyance, consequently, stayed 
longer in a place or neighborhood, and required more 
help and attention than now. 

1 ' I can see Father and Mother now as I saw them 
then, when I was but a mere child. Father having 
the general oversight, plentifully providing all things 
needful, etc., etc., and Mother so careful and faithful 
in doing and having everything possible done for the 
comfort, pleasure and happiness of all, and how careful 
she was that the tables were bountifully spread with 
the good things to sustain and strengthen the body — 
not forgetting to partake freely with others of the 
spiritual food which nourishes and strengthens the soul, 
which is free for all, without money and without price. 

"Another thing that impressed itself on my mind, 
at a very early age, was their benevolence and thought- 
ful kindness to the poor. Don't think they ever, 
through their long lives, turned one from the door 
empty, or refused shelter to any who asked. And they 
not only helped those who came to them , but searched 
out the poor' ' [see Job and corresponding Psalm] , "af- 
flicted and unfortunate, and gave aid in times of need. 
Some orphans whom they not only took in their homes 
but in their hearts, can ' rise up and call them blessed.' 

1 ' It was their sincere desire and chief aim to train 
their children and those under their care, up in the 
'nature and admonition of the Lord,' and both by 
example and precept early instill in our minds the 
necessity of right living, and taught us to first seek the 



108 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

kingdom of Heaven, and then all things necessary 
would be added. 

' ' The little ' Now I lay me down to sleep ' prayer 
that my darling Mother taught me to lisp, is more 
precious to me now than then, and it takes me back to 
happy childhood days, when our dear Father, Mother, 
brothers, sisters and Aunt Mary composed our Family 
circle, at our loved childhood's home at Old Blue River. 
Father, Mother and Aunt Mary were, none of them, 
Ministers of the Gospel, but very acceptably and faith- 
fully filled the place of Elders as long as they lived, 
and were ready at all times to help and hold up the 
hands of others who were more actively and publicly 
called out in the work. 

"I always remember Aunt Mary as one of our own 
family, for my first recollection of her was at our house. 
We were very early taught to love her, and to always 
respect her wishes in preference to our own. She was 
made to feel, from the oldest to the youngest, that she 
was welcome, and that we were glad to have her as one 
of our family and we were glad to do anything for her 
comfort and happiness. I think she enjoyed life as 
well as any widow can, who is bereft of a dear com- 
panion. She had no care, and was at perfect liberty to 
go and come just as it suited her. She traveled quite 
considerable as a helpful companion to women min- 
isters, and it can be truly said of her, that she was, 
indeed, 'a mother in Israel'. After Father and 
Mother were 'called up higher,' and we could no 
longer have them with us, if possible we felt a double 
interest in her welfare and comfort, and willingly and 
tenderly cared for her until she, too, was gathered 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 109 

home, ' as a shock of corn fully ripe for the heavenly 
garner'." [She died at 92.] 

"I feel that we children would be very ungrateful if 
we did not, in all sincerity, feel thankful to God for 
giving us such loving, devoted Christian Parents and 
kind relatives, who, by the help and grace of God, have 
guided us through life and left good examples for us 
to follow. May we take up their mantles as they have 
fallen from their shoulders, and humbly seek to know 
the Lord's will and do it faithfully, so that in the end 
of life's journey we, too, may hear the 'well done'." 

In the next letter she says — whose hand and head 
and heart are all so steady for good: " Please excuse 
my many mistakes, for they are from the head, not 
from the heart, and, bear in mind, I am old and forget- 
ful, and if it was not I have Marianna to prompt me, I 
would not do even as well as I do." — (3-21-1899.) 



This letter, as indeed all, is so full of interest, affec- 
tion, good sense, delicacy and sweetness, after trying 
at different times to cut it down, it seems more fitting 
to give most of it entire for a conclusion to the series, 
though not the last in order, and so bring the separate 
account of her family, for the present, to a close. Get- 
ting out of North Carolina having been such a pro- 
tracted undertaking, attention is directed not to the 
point but to the end oi the rose-colored pencil, and the 
image of Father Time presented to the fancy; the pass- 
ing days, the fleeing hours, the panoramic Calendar, 
the accumulating MSS. , by bits ; the wearing of the 
flesh, the ticking of the clock, near by — all by eye or 



110 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

ear or mental vision, jog the holder of the aforesaid, 
speaking to the mind's ear rather discordantly, but 
with simultaneous sound, "Get on!" so nilly-willy 
with it, or its proxy, again sharpened, a bending once 
more to the task. 



CHAPTER VI L 



1814-1816*. 

"The Gloomy Year," 18 12— The First Western 
Steamboat, i 8 i i — Comet — Eclipse — Impostor 
— Indians — Earthquake — Theater Burning, 
Etc.— Joshua T.'s Diary — Selection of Farms 
by Nathan Trueblood — Benoni's Sojourn at 
Guilford and Departure — "Little Jimmy," 
The "Benjamin" and Reformer, 



From Western Annals. 

"After Fulton's successful experiments in steam 
navigation upon the Hudson, he began to look else- 
where for other fields of action, and the West, which 
had attracted the attention of both his American prede- 
cessors, could not fail to catch his eye. Accordingly, 
in 181 1, Mr. Rooseveltf, of New York, who had visited 
Western rivers, pursuant to an agreement with Chan- 
cellor Livingston and Mr. Fulton, had surveyed them 
from Pittsburg to New Orleans and reported favorably." 
So a boat was built at the former place and launched. 
It was intended to ply between Natchez and New Or- 



* Susan Trueblood (in Salem visit) said, "A cold plague 
visited in the South in 1816. Go to bed well as common — 
corpse before morning." 

t May have been an ancestor of the present Mr. Theodore 
Roosevelt, Governor of New York, Vice-President, President. 



112 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

leans. ' ' In October it left for its experimental voyage. 
No freight or passengers were taken, the object being 
merely to bring the boat to its station. After being 
detained for three weeks on account of low water in 
the Rapids, and making several trips successfully be- 
tween Iyouisville and Cincinnati (nearly overwhelmed 
with earthquakes), this steamer reached Natchez at the 
close of the i st week of Jan., 1812." * * "The novel 
appearance of the boat and the fearful rapidity (!) with 
which it made its passage over the broad reaches of the 
river, excited a mixture of terror and surprise among 
many settlers on the banks, whom the rumor of such 
an invention had never reached." " Mr. Latrobe, who 
spoke with authority," goes on to say, he "has 
heard the general impression among the good Ken- 
tuckians was that a comet had fallen into the Ohio ;" 
but that what follows, he "may at once say " he had 
"directly from the lips of the parties themselves." 

Several events of an uncommon nature exerted a 
combined influence to throw a shade over the spirits of 
the people. 

' ' Early in September, a comet appearing in the north- 
ern part of the heavens, and after passing across our 
hemisphere, disappeared at the South, toward the end 
of the year, created alarm in the minds of very many, 
who looked upon it as an ominous forerunner of dire 
misfortune to come. 

" This was increased, on the 17th of September, by 
an annular eclipse of the sun, which occurred between 
twelve and half-past three, and afforded a solemnly 
grand and impressive sight, especially as the day was 
remarkably serene. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 113 

"More than all, gloomy apprehensions were fostered 
in the ignorant and superstitious, by a plausible story 
of an impostor, who pretended to have a revelation — 
having been entranced (so the Annals) — foretelling 
the destruction of one-third part of mankind to take 
place on the 4th of June, 18 12. This, dressed up by a 
certain ingenious and visionary young lawyer, was 
published in pamphlet form, adorned with sundry Yan- 
kee pictures portraying the dire calamity. It found an 
immense circulation, especially in the Southwest. 

" The battle of Tippecanoe was fought (7th of Nov.), 
which brought grief and distress into almost every 
family in the West. In Gen. Wm. Harrison's official 
letter to the Secretary of War, after the battle, he says, 
in conclusion: "The Indians manifested a ferocity 
uncommon even to them." Soon after, the earthquake 
followed, on the 15th and 16th of December, and, 
added to all these, on the 24th or 26th of December, the 
theater at Richmond, Va., was burned — the flames 
spreading with such terrific rapidity, people had not 
time to escape ; seventy lost their lives, being burnt or 
crushed to death by the escaping crowd. The accident 
was so heart-rending, it threw a shade of grief over 
the whole community. In addition to these circum- 
stances, the unmistakable evidence of an approaching 
Indian war was peculiarly calculated to alarm the peo- 
ple of the West, among whom there existed a universal 
feeling of gloom and consternation." 

This is a long digression, but leads to thoughts of 
the " stirring of the eagle's nest." Many were ready 
in heart, desirous to be gone, but to start was more 
than but few could do at once. Human weakness and 



114 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

opposition of kindred kept many longer in the South, 
or there, than the} 7 would, but the final wrench had to 
come. 

A most graphic and thrilling account of the earth- 
quake is given in the Annals. Some extracts from the 
pen of Dr. Hildreth are here furnished, but the account 
needs to be read entire to even faintly appreciate the 
accumulation of horrors with which it was accompanied. 
He says: "Several boats kept in company for mutual 
defense." The points can be but touched upon. The 
shock at midnight — The thought of Indians — The loud 
screaming of aquatic birds — And after all was quiet 
again, and they had concluded the alarm had been 
occasioned by the falling in of a large mass of the bank 
near them, when it was light enough, and all were up 
making ready to depart, " Directly a loud, hissing and 
roaring, most violent agitation of the shores, and tre- 
mendous boiling up of the waters of the Mississippi, 
rolling them back, carrying creaking, crashing trees, 
with nauseous gases (and foam gathering into barrel- 
like masses), wide fissures in the earth, opening and 
closing — the reddish water thrown in jets higher than 
tree tops — the river returning, shooting down boats 
like arrows from a bow, amid roaring billows and the 
wildest commotion, destroying towns and forcing lakes, 
with water unfit to drink for days," etc. 

Another historian, L,. F. Linn, in a letter to the 
Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, dated Feb. i, 
1836, thus concludes his account : 

"The day brought no solace in its dawn. Shock 
followed shock. A dense black cloud of vapor over- 
shadowed the land, through which no struggling sun- 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 115 

beam found its way to cheer the desponding heart of 
man, who in silent communion with himself, was com- 
pelled to acknowledge his weakness and dependence on 
the everlasting God." He finally speaks (in italics) of 
"appearances — leaving an impression in miniature of 
a catastrophe much more importa?it in its effects, which 
had, perhaps, preceded it ages before." (The boat .was 
from October to January making its trip. ) 

Our friends living in peace and security in Indiana 
must have indeed felt that they had escaped a devoted 
land. 

There is an interesting item in probable connection 
with the purchase of lands about Salem ; in Joshua 
Trueblood's (Uncle Jimmy's Grandfather's) diary, 
which, given here in advance of time, is as follows : 
"6-10-1847. — 36 years ago to-day Joshua Morris and 
myself got home from a trip to this country" [Salem 
and about], ('47 — '36=11). "Home" must have 
meant North Carolina. How interesting to think that 
four years before any of the families mentioned in this 
narrative started for the North and West, that these 
fathers went, as Caleb and Joshua of old, to spy out 
the land of promise, and brought back a good report. 
Perhaps at that very time some of the farms were in 
part secured ; for James, his son says, got his ' 'second- 
handed." They were brave, indeed, for there were 
rumors of wars, and Indians, wild and free. 

But the land whither ye go to possess it, is a land 
of hills and valleys, and drinketh the water of the rain 
of heaven. A land which the Lord thy God careth 
for : the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, 



116 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

from the beginning of the year even unto the end of 
the year. — Dent, n : if, 12. 

For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good 
land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths 
that spring out of valleys and hills. — Deut. 8 : 8. 

Nathan, besides his own, was to purchase land for 
his brother-in-law, Benoni. The selection of these 
farms was no light matter. A perennial spring of 
abundant, wholesome water was a first desideratum 
both for family uses and stock. The ground must be 
sufficiently elevated for health, free from miasms, and 
yet enough of it not too rugged for easy plowing, and 
free enough from stones for deep plowing, and yet a good 
quantity of stone, nearat hand, was indispensable. There 
must be abundance of woodland of the right kind of 
timber for manifold uses in building and for fuel, and 
of such extent as not to become exhausted, but rather 
to increase with growing demands. 

They were to start from the beginning — build, rear, 
provide. Make most of the clothing when their home 
supply should give out, and domestic furnishings of 
every kind, in doors and out. Have and care for 
horses, cows, sheep, pigs, turkeys, chickens. Raise 
apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes. Have all ordi- 
nary garden stuffs — asparagus, cabbage, turnips, beets, 
potatoes, peas beans. All farm products — corn,w T heat, 
rye, flax, wool, wood. 

How they succeeded will be found farther on. 

" Indiana was admitted to the Union in 18 16, and 
two years previous immigration began." — Annals 

While the foregoing things narrated were in pro- 
cess, "Jimmy" had stayed to have his convictions, 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 117 

already beyond others respecting slavery, deepened and 
made more vivid. The mother died meanwhile. There 
was nothing to longer detain him, and he went with his 
bride and the veteran Grandfather Joshua in advance 
with Nathan's company, which also included Benoni 
and Rebecca. 



Extracts from Robt. Morris' Letter. 

"I think Jeptha has the Family Bible. They 
[speaking of his father and mother] came to Indiana in 
i8i5(?) [Uncle Nathan Trueblood came out before 
and secured a place for Father] , after leaving Pasquo- 
tank County two years previous. Sojourned in Guil- 
ford County that length of time." 



Benoni' s Sojourn and Final Departure. 

The going there, i. e., to Guilford, must have been, 
whatever ulterior design there was, something in the 
manner of an experiment. But it might have been a 
temporary, not compromise, but delay, to satisfy Be- 
noni' s father, that his mind was really made up. Not 
that his resolution was not well taken. At any rate, 
it evinces the large element of shrewdness in his char- 
acter thus to decide. It is quite probable his father 
may have asked for it, or really made it a condition of 
his favor. To be really separated and yet not too far 
off from connections for opportunities of communication 
comparatively easy, if they should be desired, by which 
essential benefits might be derived upon an independent 
standing and under new conditions. Matters forgotten, 
or which in the agitation of the leave-taking had slipped 



118 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

the mind, could be attended to on either side. The 
way was not really closed after all, and any irritated 
feeling among any, if there was such, would be allayed, 
as they either wrote, or a visit to New Garden was 
asked for and acceded to, or something of the products 
of either region sent to either, by mutual friends trav- 
eling the way, in token of continued good will and 
affection. Here Benoni had the privilege of living 
farther north in intercourse with Friends, most of 
whom had kept themselves free from . contact with 
slavery, or who had come out of the evil, and doubtless 
his Resolve was much strengthened by the encourage- 
ment he received from these kindred spirits. It was 
an opportunity of testing his resolution under condi- 
tions of self-dependence, and yet as partly in a new 
country, though they were still in the "Old North 
State." His wife, too, was freer from fears and cares 
and griefs which had hurried away from their ances- 
tral home her dearest relatives, and she found it easier 
to be parted from them for a short time in expectation 
of going to them, than herself to be left where they 
would be so woefully missed. She could better know 
her own mind, and that dear brother gone before had in 
charge also the securing a place for them in the new 
Territory. The helpful quiet into which she soon 
found herself was doubtless grateful to Rebecca's spirit, 
inclined to take on care, and in the larger atmosphere 
of spiritual freedom Benoni, ever sanguine, must have 
rejoiced. 

The second Company who intended going could 
arrange their plans and act in better harmony than with 
some hampered to the last by the old environments. It 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 119 

was a needed rest by the way, and it may be taken for 
granted that where there were large Meetings, chiefly 
composed of those who had relinquished the immediate 
advantages of Slavery, the spiritual atmosphere would 
be freer and spiritual power have fuller play. And the 
reflex influence of their steadfastness, still in the State 
for a time, and yet in their Resolve and preparations 
for a final departure, not of it, would (since their tem- 
porary stay on some accounts must have been a neces- 
sity) be more felt at the old home than if they had 
really gone afar in the first instance. Either way, 
those who clung to their share in the peculiar institu- 
tion had the spectacle before their mind's eye of not 
only their church mother shaking her garments free 
from the evil, and clearing herself of the stain, but of 
their own flesh and blood, many of whom had been 
reared delicately, and all of whom had had some advan- 
tages from the System, turn their backs deliberately 
upon it, as too monstrous a wrong even to be further 
looked upon near at hand, and against which they pro- 
tested by their farewells. But it must have been diffi- 
cult, especially to tender women and men who had not 
been used to roughing it, after a life of ease, affluence, 
to take up the cross of now necessary physical labor, 
endurance and privation. It took moral backbone, 
strengthened by religious conviction, and moral nerve, 
to do it. But there was nothing else for it ; they were 
powerless to change the State, dearly as they loved it ; 
fearful as the journey, and wild and far country must 
have seemed to those who all their lives had looked upon 
their own familiar fields. So husbanding their re- 
sources, and making their preparations with greater 



120 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

intelligence and leisure, gathering incomes of spiritual 
strength for times of need sure to arrive, they lived in 
at last independence, greater security, serenity and ease 
of mind, until the time came for their final departure, 
when they also, as many of their near and dear rela- 
tives and other friends and ages of worthies before 
them, left behind riches for the respect they had to the 
recompense of reward, assured that He who called them 
out would not now forsake them, though they obeyed 
the voice, in a sense, not knowing whither they went. 
It might have been very important for mutual further 
plans to have some still near, and yet freed from neigh- 
borhood and home environments. The Underground 
Railroad was soon to be in operation, and great service 
could be rendered those farther South by a compara- 
tively non-slaveholding community like that of New 
Garden. 

And it has later occurred to Sarah that the Father 
may have been bitterly disappointed that the object 
lesson which he was working out with his sturdy sons 
should partially fail through one's, Benoni's, defec- 
tion He may have fondly hoped, poor man! that his 
example would be followed by others, and Slavery 
demonstrated not a necessity would be given up. It 
was, alas, too deeply intrenched. His own favorite 
son, true to the maxims of gain he had taught him, 
becoming a slave owner. 

When the time came their little Company left the 
soft climate, the mellow earth, the blue-covered forget- 
me-not and violet-scented hills ; Old Smoky, and Hol- 
low and fertile plain, and healthful forests of resinous 
wood 'and remembered groves of cypress and juniper ; 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 121 

soft hand and warm heart ; pleasant voice and pretty 
ways and sweet utterance to encounter — Ah ! well that 
they did not know all ; but they would still have many 
family friends and acquaintances not far distant — no 
near relative of thine, poor Benoni, in all the wide for- 
ests — and their loved Society, its Meetings, neighbors, 
and God over all. 



Robt. Morris' I,etter. 

1 ' Their conveyance was a two-horse wagon drawn 
by two nice bay mares. One, after arriving here, was 
killed by a falling limb. The other, Kit (a daisy), 
lived to be thirty-six years old. I recollect her well, 
rode her often, and was deeply impressed with grief the 
day she died. She drank milk freely that day, and 
seemed to just quit living on account of extreme age. 
I think they were just four weeks to a day making the 
trip, laying by Sundays. One of the party traveled on 
the Sabbath, and was four days longer on the road, and 
his team reduced much more than theirs." [Sarah 
almost thinks she remembers old Kit !] 



Catherine's Recollection, No. 2. 

' ' Before I was five years old my parents moved to 
Indiana, and I remember several incidents on the way. 
* * * I remember only three houses when I first 
saw Salem, and one of them was Toms White's, whose 
widow, Milicent, is still a neighbor of ours here in 
Knightstown." (Written in '7o's or '8o's.) 



122 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Uncle Nathan was quite tall, a fine form ; Aunt 
Mary was large and well proportioned ; Patience, rather 
below medium size, and inclined to be heavy set. 
" Jimmy " was a little fellow. Perhaps that was why 
he was so called. It was not the age of nicknames nor 
diminutives expressive of kindly feeling often, but 
somehow there was so little of him and so much to him, 
and perhaps because others of the same name — 
"James" — gave the excuse. " Little Jimmy " stuck 
to him, a solitary instance in this way of the triumph 
of feeling there over Quaker sense of decorum. Friends 
being especially fond of little ones. He was a young- 
est brother, and he and his bride so very youthful, and 
then he went beyond them all in conviction. It be- 
came really a title of honor bestowed in tenderness. 
Rebecca may have said "James." (Did she not say 
" Brother Jimmy," and " Brother Nathan," and " Sis- 
ter Mary," and they all "Sister Rebecca?") But he 
went by the other almost universally, and she, who was 
very fond of him, as of all her relatives, most probably 
yielded to affection here. They really had never ceased 
to regard him as the Benjamin of the family. You 
know the Bible says, "Little Benjamin." "Little 
Uncle Jimmy!" This is the Rose Colored Pencil's 
tribute : 

If all who believed in their hearts that slavery was 
wrong had acted as he did, without a dollar spent, or a 
drop of blood shed, or a year's delay, slaveholders and 
slave power would have been brought to an end in the 
United States. The thing which prevented this con- 
summation was personal, and chiefly physical gratifica- 
tion. The people couldn 't do without their sugar, 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 123 

wouldn't do without their cotton, must have their 
tobacco, and the traders had souls for their hire — hav- 
ing sold their own before — for the money there was in 
it. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the 
pride of life are the baits Satan still sets for souls, 
always has and always will. No, not always ; but 
while time, this age of it, shall last. 

It would not be in the holder of the Rose Colored 
Pencil to fail in admiration of doughty " little Uncle 
Jimmy," much less in justice towards a reformer, that 
having been the aspiration of half a lifetime. But hav- 
ing been told that the aforesaid self is ?iot one, can only 
humbly say, claims then to be a failure along that line 
in preference to success upon any other. 

-MATTHEW ARNOLD'S "THE LAST WORD." 

Creep into thy narrow bed — 
Creep, and let no more be said ; 
Vain thy onset ! All stands fast, 
Thou thyself must break at last. 

Let the long contention cease ! 
Geese are swans and swans are geese, 
Let them have it how they will ! 
Thou art tired ! best be still. 

They out-talked thee, hissed thee, tore thee; 
Better men fared thus before thee — 
Fired their ringing shot and passed, 
Hotly charged, and broke at last. 

Charge once more, then, and be dumb ! 
Let the victors, when they come, 
When the forts of folly fall, 
Find thy body by the wall ! 



"■From "New Poems," published by Tichnor& Fields, now 
Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 



CHAPTER VI I L 



Annals — Immigration to Indiana, Illinois and 
Missouri, from Kentucky, Carolina and Ten- 
nessee, 1816-1820 — 1816, Indiana Constitution, 
State; Jennings, Governor — Harvey Morris' 
Letter and R.-C. P. Comments — Hicks True- 
blood's Letter — Harvey's Second Letter — 
To Uncle Nathan's — Margaret Albertson's 
Letters — Their Family Record — The Farm 
and House — Marianna's Golden Wedding 
Description — The Cypress Tree (Margaret) 
— The Rose-Colored Pencil and Margaret's 
Comments — Catherine's Recollections, No. 
3 — Sarah's Regret. 



Annals. 



P. 923. " Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, from 1816 
to 1820, received a continuous succession of immigrants; 
particularly Kentucky, Carolina and Tennessee sent 
out vast numbers to these new regions, where land was 
abundant, cheap and productive. 

"In the early part of 18 16, Congress having pre- 
viously granted authority, a Convention was elected in 
Indiana, and assembled to form a State Government. 
A Constitution was adopted and reported to Congress. 
It was approved by that body, and the new State re- 
ceived admission into the Union. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 125 

"The new State Government went into operation 
by the election of the Hon. Jonathan Jennings, Gov- 
ernor, who had represented the Territory as Delegate 
in Congress since 1809. The Constitution having been 
made at a time when there was, as it were, a lull of 
party violence produced by the late war, and when a 
general spirit of political conciliation and good feeling 
prevailed throughout, was framed with a great deal of 
care and wisdom . It was more conservative [of Liberty ?] 
than perhaps that of any other State made out of a 
Northwestern Territory. ' ' 



Harvey Morris' Letter. 

Harvey Morris, Attorney-at-Law. 

Salem, Ind., March 6, 1899. 
Cousin Sarah — To avert the awful calamity and 
the long list of personal and family ills which you pre- 
dict as a penalty of neglect should I fail to write in 
answer to your letter of Feb. 25, I now will endeavor 
to spare our relatives the dire misfortune by complying 
as nearly as possible with your request, although I 
have sustained the awful suspense of impending danger 
for the ten da}^s since I received your letter, in an un- 
availing effort to learn what you wish (me) to procure 
for you, as you did not state what you wanted in this 
letter, and I have no recollection of ever having re- 
ceived any other* from you, and I have consulted Uncle 
Robt. and Father in regard to it, and neither can solve 
the problem, so I suppose I shall become an immortal 
Martyr through very ignorance for which I should not 



* .Sarah's former letter must have miscarried in some way. 



126 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

be held accountable. Of course, no excuse will avail, 
so I will make none — just plead guilty to any charges 
without even seeking clemency or even promising to do 
better in the future, with no hope that such promises 
might mitigate the punishment or procure the benefit 
of clergy. 

Father says he knows nothing of the "home life" 
of the family in N. Carolina, as he never went there. 

Your cousin, 

Harvey. 

O, stupid historian again! What a pencil a rose- 
colored one is to be sure! The historian, proceeding 
upon partial evidence from the declaration that Jeptha 
never went to North Carolina, not having then read 
Hicks Trueblood's letter respecting him, jumped at the 
conclusion that he was born in Indiana. She inserts 
this to show how mistaken we may be even when we 
think we have grounds for opiuion. A third child was 
added to Rebecca's little band at Randolph, but doubly 
stupid historian, some "memories" were inquired of 
necessarily a supposed infant in arms ! 

Well may she add : An old Professor once said to 
her, " Miss Morrison, believe nothing you hear, and 
only half of what you see." 

The historian again saved (yes, again and again) 
from deviating from the path of veracity — this time as a 
witness respecting the lawyer's own father — hastens, 
the case being dismissed, to erase the hearsay evidence, 
lest by some malign influence it may gain a further 
permanency, and drawing a long breath, as many a 
witness has done before, in thankfulness for not being 
self- convicted and committed, may, for the present, be 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 127 

regarded as wandering in the labyrinth of " Who told 
me so ? " 

And yet, upon what testimony must our story rest? 
That given and handed down by reliable witnesses, so 
Uncle Jeptha and others give what you have heard 
from those who knew and handed down to you ! 

The old Family Bible corrects hasty conclusions and 
lots of hearsay. In Grandpa's own hand — (( Jeptha 
Morris, born in Randolph Co. ' ' We younger genera- 
tion had a way of slyly taking off Father's provincial 
manner of saying, * ' which ? " for " what? " ' ' Which 
State House ? " So I say , * ' Which King ? Bezonian, 
speak or die ! " Which Randolph ? (For there is one 
in Indiana as well. ) But it must have been the North 
Carolina one, for afterwards Grandpa, in recording 
other births, writes "Indiana." Now, why did that 
impression get so generally spread that Jeptha was born 
in Guilford? Shall that chapter about New Garden — 
a place of sojourn — come to grief? Even so. Seethe 
labors of the historian. Hold ! (The solution of the 
knotty question is simply to place the sojourn after 
Randolph — as has been done.) Randolph? Where's 
a map? What do you (the holder of pencil was thus 
taking herself to task — not her constituents), stupid, 
simpleton, shirk, know about geography, anyhow? 
But straighten this thing out, and go on with what you 
have in hand. 

It is probable Randolph and Guilford were once the 
same, as they are adjoining. ( Newton Trueblood 
thinks not probable, but adds, ' ' The Albertsons were 
in Randolph," nearly connected and dear friends.) 



128 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

" Uncle Benoni and Aunt Rebecca, with thy mother 
and Nixon, started West in 1815 with the caravan, but 
when they got to Randolph Co. they concluded to stay 
there, and did for over a }^ear ; in the meantime, Jeptha 
was born." — E. Hicks Trueblood (4-14-99). 

Then comes another letter from Harvey, with the 
prized copy, taken from Benoni' s Family Bible, now 
in Jeptha's possession, by his younger son, who says: 

Salem, Ind., 22 Mar., 1899. 
After so long a time I send you herewith copies 
of all entries in the old Bible that father has. I have 
copied them just as they appear in the record, although 
some of them are almost faded out. All of the births 
of grandfather's family are in his hand writing. 

If you can think of any excuse for my not obtain- 
ing it sooner, you might just enter it to my credit. 

Your cousin, 

Harvey Morris. 

"Jeptha Morris, son of Benoni and Rebecca, was 
born 24 of 9th mo., 18 16, Randolph County," and so on. 

How long they remained, and why they went to 
Guilford, Sarah has not been able to ascertain fully. 
It was probably to enjoy the larger meeting (the coun- 
ties were adjoining), and more spiritual association at 
New Garden. Here they sojourned until the Fall of 
1816. 

Later. — A look at a map would have spared 
much perplexity. Newton Trueblood, whose appre- 
ciation, ready ability and kindly suggestions in three 
chapters, have been of great assistance to Sarah, in- 
formed her here that they came to Randolph first from 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 129 

the Eastern Counties, it lying directly in the public 
way north, and went to Guilford, first north on account 
of larger meeting and better social advantages. There 
is further evidence farther on — Grandpa himself, in 
one of his letters, speaks of the sojourn in Guilford. 

Their destination is Uncle Nathan's until the farm, 
which the last named has been commissioned to buy 
for them, can be sufficiently cleared, and a comfortable 
temporary dwelling be sufficiently prepared for Rebecca 
and the little ones. Two years of intelligent industry 
had changed Uncle Nathan's place from a wilderness 
to a home, but it was man}^ before it came to answer 
the description following of the enthusiastic grand- 
daughter. Still, it must have seemed a heavenly haven 
of rest, after their weary travels, with its gentleness 
and refinement and never-ended welcome. Poor Re- 
becca, in a little while she, too, must begin to rough 
it, but for the present she need not even care for the 
never still Catherine. Nixon never was the same 
charge — quiet, pleasant, Quaker child. She is to rest, 
to sleep, to eat, to be comforted by renewed association 
with those from whom she has been parted for two 
years, and is consoled for what she has left behind of 
kindred and comfort. They are so rejoiced to see her. 
She sits with her dear brother ; first all must have her, 
after Patience has had her in charge, and she is some- 
what rested ; they ply her with questions of kindred 
and home. Of the way, and Guilford, and home, and 
the children. The little Elizabeth and Catherine, as 
ever after in spirit, walk together hand in hand. The 
boys of each, Rebecca's and Patience's, are so charmed 
by them they forget themselves. Aseneth is a big girl 



130 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

now, running about, whom all want, but who will stay 
with none of them long. "What a sturdy, hearty little 
fellow, Jeptha is!" Benoni is not at a loss, but he 
must see to his purchase, and as soon as will do, has- 
tens away to survey it. His breezy ways brighten all, 
if sweet placidity needs brightening. Aunt Mary fills 
every needed place, and soothes every childish tear. 
Nathan's heart and Rebecca's are very near together. 
Jimmy comes soon with his little treasured household, 
and other relatives and friends warmly and unfeignedly 
greet and welcome to their hearts and homes and Meet- 
ing, these latest, who have also borne heroic testimony 
to the truth. " I am the way, the truth, and the 
life." — Jesus. 

These flights after all have not been much out of 
the way. Margaret Albertson (3-30-99), thus com- 
ments upon them . "About thy question whether thy 
grandparents went to my father's first, I cannot tell 
positively, but think they did. I know it was a stop- 
ping place for the Carolina relatives and friends as they 
came, even after I was old enough to remember ; and 
I think we are perfectly safe in believing they did go 
there first, and can easily imagine (of) the happy 
meeting and cordial welcome given them. 

' ' I remember that Uncle Jimmy was conscientious 
about using slave labor and avoided it, but don't think 
any of the rest of the families were so much, as to only 
buy of Iyevi Coffin, Cincinnati." 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 131 

Kansas City, Mo., 4-1 8-1899. 

* * * "Thee asks if there is anything particular we 
want said about our girlhood days, &c. There is a great 
deal that we like to live over in memory and think and 
talk about, but it is a very different and difficult thing 
(for me at least) to begin to cull out and try to put it 
on paper ; so I would not know where to begin or 
where to stop. It would take volumes, and then the 
half could not be told in words. I think it would be 
hard to find six cousins, thy aunts Joanna and Mary, 
and cousins Mary and Martha (Uncle Jimmy's daugh- 
ters), and sister Mary Ann and I, who had a better 
time or got more real enjoyment and pleasure out of 
life than we did, even from our childhood, or as soon 
as we were old enough to form attachments. So I look 
back over those long ' ' bygone days. ' ' I can see that 
our youthful lives were bright, joyous and free, with 
a great deal more sunshine than shadow, largely made 
so by our dear parents and older brothers' and sisters' 
tender care, religious training and good example and 
kind advice which our dear Heavenly Father permitted 
us to have and enjoy, even on to mature years, for 
which I thank and praise Him from the very depths of 
my heart. I would' be glad if thee feels like saying 
something in my dear sister Mary Ann's honor, for I 
feel she is worthy." [Heavenly creature!] "Don't 
suppose thee remembers my older sisters, Elizabeth 
and Asenath?" [O yes, I do, well.] "They were 
both like Mary Ann — sincere, devoted Christians, 
always aiming and trying to do all the good they could 
and no harm." [Margaret was not at all like them ! 
Oh, no ; not in the least like them ! ] " And I can say 



132 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

the same about my brothers, who are still living." 
[Nor her brothers ; of course not ! What a black sheep 
she must have been, to be sure ! ] " Hope thee will be 
sure and go and see them when thee goes to Salem. * * 

"Margaret Albkrtson." 



Margaret's Family Record — Continued. 

Aseneth Trueblood was born ioth mo. ist, 1814. 
Deceased ist mo. 22d, 1849. 

Joseph Trueblood was born 9th mo. 5th, 18 17. 

Mary Ann Trueblood was born 6th mo. 17th, 1820, 
Deceased 7th mo. 13th, 1895. 

Margaret Trueblood was born 12th mo. 17th, 1822. 

Nathan Trueblood and Patience Newby were mar- 
ried 2d Mo. 28th, 1805, in Pasquotank Co., North 
Carolina. 

Charles Pool and Elizabeth Trueblood were married 
8th Mo. 12th, 1830. 

William Trueblood and Isabel Albertson were mar- 
ried 5th Mo. 8th, 1834. 

Lewis J. Reyman and Asenath Trueblood were 
married 6th Mo. 2d, 1836. 

Joseph Trueblood and Semira B. "Lindley were mar- 
ried 2d Mo. ioth, 1842. 

Benjamin A. Overman and Mary Ann Trueblood 
were married 9th Mo. nth, 1845. 

Charles Albertson and, Margaret Trueblood were 
married nth Mo. 12th, 1846. 

All the children were married at Blue River, 
Washington Co., Indiana. 

[All now gone but Margaret.] 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 133 

Charles and Margaret Albertson's Children 

and Grandchildren : 

Elizabeth P. Albertson was born Sept. 5, 1847 ; 
died August 15th, 1884. 

Maria Albertson was born Jan. 31st, 1851; died 
Feb. 5th, 1852. 

Emma Albertson was born August 16th, 1853; died 
May 31st, 1886. 

Edgar B. Albertson was born Jan. 31st, 1856. 

William T. Albertson was born May 6th, 1859. 

Marianna Albertson was born April 17th, 1862. 

Thomas Benton Hobbs and Emma Albertson were 
married Jan. 3d, 1878, at Canton, Ind. 

Edgar B. Albertson and Melva Stubbs were married 
June 10th, 1880, at West Elkton, Ohio. 

James Elliott Niccolls and Marianna Albertson were 
married Sept. 29th, 1883, at Canton, Ind. 

William T. Albertson and Emma H. Epperson were 
married April 5th, 1893, at Kansas City, Mo. 

Ethel Hobbs, daughter of T. B. and Emma Hobbs, 
was born March 25th, 1880. 

Myron C. Albertson, son of Edgar B. and Melva 
Albertson, was born Feb. 23, 1881. 

Howard Albertson, son of Edgar B. and Melva 
Albertson, was born August 22d, 1885 ; died May 13, 
1887. 

Frederic S. Albertson, son of Edgar B. and Melva 
Albertson, was born Sept. 23d, 1887. 

Rolland A. Niccolls son of J. E. and Marianna A. 
Niccolls, was born March 4th, 1887. 



134 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Marianna's husband had two small children when 
they were married — Robert E. and Eleanor — who 
we feel like our very own, but as they are no blood 
kin, cannot be included in Genealogy. 

[It is not in Sarah to exclude any so adopted by one 
so dear.] 

The farm Nathan Trueblood purchased from Lewis 
Woody (Levi's father) for $1,800* (one thousand 
eight hundred dollars) was two miles east of Salem, on 
the way to the Meeting house (the one built after the 
Separation), about a mile farther on. A lover of 
beauty, of the picturesque, was Uncle Nathan, under 
his plain snuff-colored coat, and the house was admir- 
ably placed to gratify the most fastidious taste with an 
eye to natural scenery. It fronted south : a long, two- 
story frame, with its spacious parlor and guest room on 
the west. The great sitting room and Aunt Patience's 
bed room next; then Aunt Mary's room, and another 
from the ample dining room and its pantries and kitchen, 
also large, with other little rooms on the north of it at 
the extreme east. Above these were numerous sleep- 
ing apartments of various sizes to suit the children, 
guests and all. The house was so long it gave, with 
its Southern veranda running the whole length and 
covered at the 2d story, the impression of a one- storied 
building. Guests w r ere received at the west end, or in 
the middle of the veranda, according as they came at 
either near or far entrance from the public road. Steps 



* An immense sum at that time for it. Cousin Joseph 
Trueblood says Wash. DePauw offered $60,000 for it soon after 
the war. (Salem visit.) 




Drawn by 
(Mrs.) Annie R. Coffin (Morrison) 



UNCLE NATHAN'S." 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 135 

ran up a few feet from the ground at these places and 
others farther on at the east end for domestic uses. 
Long settees were placed along at the back of the ver- 
anda, and there, in all suitable weather, when not 
otherwise engaged, Uncle Nathan was to be seen. 
There was probably something in the view extended 
before him to remind him of the old Southern home, or 
it may have been by contrast. It was, at all events, a 
remarkable scene, not easily come at elsewhere. Sarah 
stays her own description to give place to the more 
graphic one of Marianna A. Nichols, who prepared the 
following for her parents' golden wedding, and kindly 
permits its insertion : 

The Homestead, Cypress Hile. 

"This long, white house of early times in architec- 
ture and design, is the Homestead, Cypress Hill." 
She continues: "You see, 'tis very near the summit 
of the rise ; the foreground to the south gently slopes 
in knolls of green a hundred feet or more, when, sud- 
denly breaking, a steep descent is made into a low land 
of almost a quarter of a mile's expanse, perhaps, before 
we reach the public road upon the south, where again 
there are wooded heights. 

"The grand old oaks and maples thickly dot this 
broad expanse in front, and far to the east and west. 
Their myriad leaves have caught the limit of nature 
(for this is autumn time), and all around is one great 
blaze of crimson, gold and russet. Just back the 
orchard stands — its wealth of fruit garnered, and its 
greenish, gray and yellow tints a fitting background 
makes. 



136 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

" To either side there winds among the trees a car- 
riage road, which leads out to the highway, and thence 
to town on either hand, some two miles distant. 

"Descending the hill in front of the grounds, we 
find two springs of water, pure and cold ; for such was 
this section famed, and over their sparkling basins 
stone milk houses were imbedded in the hillside, in 
which to care for the product of the mild-eyed lowing 
kine that flocked the hills and pastures. 

" Here, too, threading in and out from east to west, 
a dainty singing rivulet made its way. 

' ' Some forty feet in front and midway of the long 
house east and west, note this cypress tree; its branches 
now reaching well to the roof of the great long porch 
that spans the house full length. 

4 'As sentinel it stands as though to guard from harm 
its duty be, and now, with more than 70 years of hardy 
growth, it still remains. A canopy it makes for (many) 
feet around, and in its shade, where played our mother 
when a child, and where our grandparents, children and 
great grandchildren play. The seed of this majestic 
tree was brought from far Carolina's land, their former 
home, and planted by the elder daughter of the house- 
hold. Cared for and nourished by both old and young 
alike, it grew and flourished, and for it the name of 
Cypress Hill given. 

" This was a home of frugal hospitality, with ample 
room both in the hearts and 'round the hearth and 
board of these true, noble souls who founded it. Its 
peaceful shelter was sought alike by old and young, 
and friend and stranger, rich or poor, there found a 
hearty welcome, and such care as only is bestowed by 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 137 

loving hearts and willing hands, ever harkening to and 
interested in the needs and comforts of a common 
humanity." 

Margaret herself had previously written of the plant- 
ing of the Cypress : 

' ' The Cypress tree in the yard at the dear old home- 
stead I can remember since it w 7 as a very small tree, or 
rather a little whip. There' were four seeds brought 
from North Carolina, and one was given to our family, 
and sister Elizabeth planted it in the garden. It came 
up and grew there large enough to transplant, when 
father and William set it out where it now stands in 
the yard. When I saw it last its wide-spreading 
branches reached to the porch. I can not say sure, but 
suppose it has been standing where it is about 70 years. 
The others' seeds came up and grew to be large trees, 
too, but do not know whether they are all still stand- 
ing or not. They were all Carolinians who planted 
them : James White, Joshua Trueblood and Benjamin 
Cosand. I think Joshua Trueblood and family went 
to Indiana the same time father and family did. ' ' [Yes, 
Hicks Trueblood says so.] 

The rose-colored pencil concludes with : The open 
ground where the sun could be seen descending and 
the glories of his departing. Thick woods, except 
where the barn and stables were, and back of the house 
and near, were elsewhere about. Mighty trees — oak, 
walnut, maple (called sugar), hickory, giants, Anacks 
of the forest, with evergreen (cedar chiefly) scattered 
among them. The sumac spread its crimson, the 
wild grape made its festoons, the pawpaw displayed its 
pendant fruit ; the May-apple bloomed ; the dog-wood 



138 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

arrayed itself in white ; the ground-squirrel, streaked 
with black, frisked among the leaves ; the fox squirrel 
and the gray squirrel gamboled, and with saucy chat- 
tering sped from tree to ground and back again. The 
violet grew, and ferns and many a tender wilding 
flower. Birds built, sang and nested undisturbed, and 
in all the sly van loveliness there were, no gentler spirits 
than Uncle Nathan's and Aunt Patience's, and the dear 
band of cousins their loves had called into being. 

Margaret Albertson. 

11 Thee has the wild flowers about right, but I will 
add Forget-me-nots and Sweet Williams that grew 
abundantly along the meadow fences, where they could 
get sunlight and warmth. Most, or perhaps all the 
rest, grew in the woods, where they were more shaded. 
Yes, the dog- wood grew there, and were generally in 
full bloom and beautiful about corn-planting time.' 
She also says : "I feel it quite an honor to be a mem- 
ber of a family that has been spoken of as thee has of 
ours, and feel very thankful and glad if thee, or any 
one else, has had good impressions made on their minds, 
and were influenced for good by associating with my 
dear Father, Mother and children. Great and good 
results often spring from small beginnings. Our loved 
parents did well in their day; may we do as well in our 
day and generation, and set as good examples to others 
as they have for us. ' ' The rose-colored pencil writes 
a fervent Amen ! 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 139 

Catherine's Recollections, No. 3. 

"But I always thought in those days my Uncle 
Nathan Trueblood's house was the best place in this 
world or any other, and really pitied every one who 
hadn't an Uncle Nathan, but thought I was the most 
favored of all mortals when at my uncle's house. We 
stopped there, some weeks I think, before our house, 
near Salem, was ready for our occupancy." 

This is all. Why did I not, says Sarah, with un- 
availing regret, encourage my dear Mother, whose 
memory was so clear, to continue? She could have, 
told of the appearance of things when they first went 
to live at the old (then new) home place. Of the 
house-building, barn-raising, clearing, and many, many 
things we can but conjecture, never fully know. She 
could have told of the coming of each little brother and 
sister ; of the first starting to school ; of many a thing 
no one perhaps now lives to tell, or who is able, and as 
willing and ready as she. Alas ! 



CHAPTER IX. 



\ 



James Trueblood, by His Son, K. Hicks — Their 
Place, etc. — The Storm — Family Record — 
A Twin —Cypress Trees — Oscar's Letters — 
Kindred Out of North Carolina — Clearings 
— Meetings — Visiting — Note or Appendix on 
Morgan Raid. 



James Trueblood. 

" The son of the 3d John by his second wife, Mary- 
Griff en, was born 2d mo. 27th, 1794, near Elizabeth 
City, N. C. Was married to Betsey Trueblood, of the 
same place, daughter of Joshua and Mary Henley 
Trueblood, 10th mo. 13th, 18 14, he being in his 21st 
and she in her 17th year, their grandfathers, Daniel 
and Abel Trueblood, being first cousins. The mar- 
riage was according to the order then among Friends, 
and was consummated at a public meeting held at Sy- 
mons Creek, Pasquotank Co., N. C, many relatives 
and friends signing the certificate of marriage. This 
happy young couple made their home with their mother 
while she lived, which was but a few months. The 
following spring they, with many others, turned their 
attention towards the new Northwest, to seek homes 
away from the sapping and blighting influence of hu- 
man slavery. They turned away from the land of their 
nativity — the land where their beloved ancestry lay 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 141 

buried ; turned away from the ocean's waves, and 
towards the blue Alleghenies that loomed up in the 
western horizon, through the Cumberland Gap and 
across Kentucky, the then "bloody ground," to the 
falls of La Belle Riviere, and across this stream, trav- 
eled to the head water of Blue River, reaching Salem 
7th of 7th mo., 1815. This caravan of Friends from 
the seaboard of North Carolina had eight wagons along. 
The one that James and his young wife came in was 
drawn by one horse. Joshua Trueblood, Nathan True- 
blood, Matthew Coffin, Jehosaphat Morris, with their 
families, were some that helped to fill the wagons. ' 
John Cowen, a colored man that had been the property 
of Nathan Trueblood, drove one of the wagons." ["His 
father," as Margaret charmingly said, "had once be- 
longed in the family."] 

' 'James Trueblood obtained a fair education, and was 
a teacher in his native State, and the girl that he mar- 
ried was one of his students. His Father died nth 
mo. 2d, 1796, and Joshua became his guardian, and it 
was with the help and sanction of his guardian that he 
liberated and sent North three slaves left him by his fa- 
ther." [Ah!] "James was ever after earnest in his opposi- 
tion to human slavery, so much so, that he refused to eat, 
drink or wear any of the products that came through 
it. He bought him a farm a few miles from Salem, 
and happy it was this farm had a large grove of sugar 
maples on it, so he could draw from it each spring the 
sweet, that made the sugar and molasses used on the 
table. He raised the flax that made the linen goods, 
the wool that made the woolen garments, and sent to 
Cincinnati for the cotton goods, kept in a free labor 



142 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

store by Levi Coffin. His farm was bought second- 
handed, and was about four miles northeast of Salem, 
and one mile north of the village of Canton. The little 
farm was beautifully situated, a stream of water rising 
in the orchard east of the house, and another on the 
west, the two coming together south of the house, and 
another spring of pure and cold water flowing out from 
under the roots of a spreading beach tree, near the 
place where these east and west streams came into one." 
[A little paradise, see Gen. 2, Garden of Eden.] "At 
the latter spring was the milk house, and where the 
'water came from used in the house. The house stood 
on the knoll or hill between these small streams, and 
was known as ' Pleasant Hill. ' ' ' [The children's name, 
' Rosy Bower' — Margaret A.] " The house was part 
of logs, and part a common frame, all of it being the 
work of James. Seeing him so ingenious with tools, 
people would ask if he had not learned the trade. But 
he was only with carpenter tools as he was with farm 
tools of all kinds. He had the vats, and tanned and 
made his own leather, and the shoes for a large young 
family" [Ten!] "while his good wife spun, wove 
and knit, and bringing up her family along the line of 
self-support. ' Pleasant Hill ' was known for the pro- 
fusion of flowers ; Roses, Dahlias and other flowers in 
their season, gave enchantment to the place." [As 
Margaret A.'s letter.] " The sugar grove was a quar- 
ter of a mile north of the house, and was on a plot of 
ground of but little over an acre, no other tree but the 
sugar maple being on the ground. In the midst of the 
grove was the camp, where the sweet sap was boiled 






OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 143 

down, and taken to the house for the women folks to 
clearify and stir off. 

"It seemed strange, and was often remarked about, 
that the great storm of May 21, i860, that took down 
a wide swath of timber through this section, lifted, in 
its approval to the sugar grove, and left every tree 
standing, the wind lowering again to the ground after 
jumping it. James Trueblood was not much of a party 
man until the nomination of J. C. Fremont for the 
Presidency in 1856, when 'Fremont and Freedom' 
stirred his deepest feelings ; and was equally with Lin- 
coln and Hamlin in i860. There were long years — 
between 1840 and 1856 — that he never went to polls 
to cast a vote." [Incident in Politics farther on.] 
"Another incident might be told here. James, in 
1863, had a large fine carriage horse that most of the 
family could go out and bridle in the fields without 
trouble. John Morgan, in his *Raid through the 
country, went through Canton. Two of his soldiers 
drew up at James Trueblood's residence, and, freeboot- 
ers as they were, went out to get the fine horse they 
saw grazing in the field ; but the horse did not see it 
the way the men did, and turned his heels on them and 
galloped off, and they went away cursing the Quaker 
horse. Another reminiscence showing James True- 
blood's standing with the people in his native State: 
Sometime in the early forties a stranger on horseback, 
with saddle-bags across his horse, was met on the pub- 
lic road, that passed his house, by one of the family, 
the stranger inquiring if James Trueblood did not live 

* See Annie's account of Morgan's Eaid at the end of 
Chapter. 



144 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

about there. As there were three by that name, it was 
asked which one he meant. 'Why,' said he, ' I want 
to see the one we called " Gentleman James," in Caro- 
lina.' James Trueblood and wife were life members 
of the religious Society of Friends, as were their ances- 
tors for many generations back. They held to the faith 
that every soul has implanted in it the seed of * eter- 
nal life. They each tried to cultivate this seed given 
them, and not be dependent on others to show them 
the path of life. 

"James died 5 mo. 8, 1884, after a lingering illness 
of several months ; Betsey died 4 mo. 22, 1884, caused 
by the terrible ordeal of fire. They were buried side 
by side in the old burial ground at Blue River. James 
Trueblood and wife had 10 children, all raised to ma- 
turity, namely: John H., Milton M., Mary E., Mar- 
tha A., Susanna, Warner M., E. Hicks, Catharine M., 
Eliza E. and Rebecca M. To James Trueblood and 
wife we may apply the lines of Robert Burns : 

' It's no in titles, nor in rank, 
It's no in wealth like Lovian bank, 

To purchase peace and rest ; 
It's no in making rnuckle wair, 
It's no in books, it's no in lear, 

To make us truly blest; 
If happiness hae not her seat 

And centrie in the breast, 



* The user of the r.-c. p. does not agree with the doctrine 
that every soul has implanted in it a seed of eternal life. If, 
in the expression, "has" was changed to had, and restricted to 
Adam and Eve, before the fall, of course it would be accepted — 
by her. But the subject of diversity of doctrine among Friends 
will come up farther on. 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 145 

We may be wise, or rich or great, 

But never can be blest; 
Nae treasures, nor pleasures, 

Could make us happy long ; 
The heart aye's the part aye, 

That makes us right or wrong.' 

E. Hicks Trueblood." 

[Who has penned this glowing tribute to the memory 
of his father and mother.] 

Hicks Trueblood also writes (3-22-1899): " I sup- 
pose thee knows or has heard that my Father was a twin, 
and that only my Father lived, and he was so small that 
he could be put into a quart cup and the lid put on, and 
that a silver dollar would cover his face." 

[Cypress trees] "One of them, and I saw it last 
summer — is at my grandfather's old place ; it spreads 
its limbs out 30 or 40 feet. Another one of* the old 
trees is at Joseph Trueblood 's, where thee knows Uncle 
Nathan lived. At my Father's were tall Lombardy 
poplars in front of the house, and on the side were 
grand old pines. This was when I was a boy — all 
gone now. The house was a two-story, and fronted 
south, with a piazza the length of it. My grandfather's 
place joined ours on the east, and was a short walk 
across the orchard and fields. I have a daughter in 
Pennsylvania that is an artist, and does some work for 
the papers. We have an incompleted chart, or tree, of 
the Trueblood family, my son, the author of it, dying 
before completing it. The design* is splendid." 



As Uncle Jeptha's and Hicks Trueblood 's farms are 
near each other, and their religious tenets in accord, 

* Sarah saw this in her visit, July, '99, while at Salem. 



146 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

these letters from the son of the former may not seem 
out of place here : 

City Hotel. 
The only Hotel in the Southern Mines 
Run on the European Plan. 

Sonora, Cal,. , March 14, 1899. 
Dear Cousin > S. Morrison : 

Yours of the 7th at hand, and note what you say 
about a Family Biography. I am very busy all the 
time, and a very poor writer, outside of business, but 
will do all I can to help you. My life has been so 
varied, and I have been over so much of the country, 
and am now so mixed up with pursuits that are so dif- 
ferent from any of our family. Now, you please give 
me (a) synopsis of what you wish and I will send it to 
you, and if you are out anything I will bear my share. 
I am in the gold mines out here, and such a life is so 
different from what any of our family know anything 
about, no one can form an idea of what I come in con- 
tact with. So you please let me know what 3^011 wish, 
and I will have a typewriter for you and get it up in 
shape. I have some dates of coincidence that it would 
take me some time to get here, but if any are wished 
by you I will get them. My kind regards to all your 
folks. Write me here. Your cousin, 

O. R. Morris, 

Box 394. Sonora, Cal. 

This is Jeptha's oldest son. Two from the younger 
have been already given. This is likewise character- 
istic. It is comfortable, however moderate one's wants 
and limited one's expectations, to be backed in under- 
taking by a Cousinly gold mine ! So, if this book gets 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 147 

out of manuscript, it will be in order to inquire, i. e. 
among relatives, whether it was able to make its own 
way, or had to be helped outside one's own resources. 
Blood is thicker than water and better than gold, and 
Oscar is a generous fellow whose kindred sympathies 
are quick in response, in spite of wanderings and the 
big world. 

The second letter is equally his own, and as fol- 
lows : 

Sonora, March 24, 1899. 

Miss S. P. Morrison, Indianapolis : * 

Dear Cousin — Yours of the 20th at hand, and 
note all you say. I wish to know if I get in my write- 
up in four or six weeks will do you, or would it dis- 
commode your work? The reason I ask I have a lot of 
dates and memorandums stored with an old Salem boy 
at Stockton, Cal., that I wish before I write you, and I 
will have to go down there in that time and will then 
get them. I shall write you a good lot of information 
in a few words, as you know the Morris Family think 
they are the only ones on earth. [No ! really ?] But, 
Cousin, if any of them will see so much of the world 
as I have, they would find there are others, not that I 
wish to brag on myself , but I have handled more money 
in the last 20 years than my whole family has seen. I 
just helped melt in bullion 22 pounds of gold yesterday. 
I have seen at one time 22 tons of gold and Bulion, 
and have been in mines 5,800 feet under ground — over 
a mile. I am a poor writer, and will have my write- 
up type-written for you, so now I will not bother you 
with my poor writing, but wait your reply. 

Your Cousin, 
Box 394, Sonora, Cal. O. R. Morris. 



148 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

S. wrote, giving him time, and has not heard from 
that day to this ! well in November ! 

Wrote again, (letter returned from mail). He is 
now in New Mexico. Book, i. e. MSS., done, De- 
cember. 

She went on with her story thus : While we wait 
for letters which will doubtless clear up many things 
still in cloud-land, and having at last gotten our kin- 
dred (nearest) away from the incubus of slavery, and 
nicely settled upon their own farms near Salem, we are 
ready for a description of Benoni's farm and the adja- 
cent country, early life in Salem, and visits to and fro, 
from Uncle Nathan's oftenest, and Uncle Jimmy's and 
other relatives and friends, whose land — much of it 
contiguous farms lying along the public road, — soon 
smiled with sowings of various grains, but where the 
woodman's ax still resounded, and peaceful, happy 
families pursued their various occupations ; where 
domestic animals basked or browsed in the vales and 
upon the slopes, now partially cleared, and children 
played about the doors of substantial homes, where 
savages had lately roamed ; and where on Sabbath (ist 
day), and in the middle of the week, vehicles of various 
descriptions, riders on horseback, women with children, 
often a mother with babe in arms and child behind, 
sometimes two, wended their way to the Meeting. The 
house, a large structure, unpainted, unadorned, with 
wooden benches and galleries for dignitaries. There 
the men, assisting the women to alight and leisurely 
fastening horses, after standing about in groups and 
engaging in friendly converse, go in upon their side, 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA L49 

the women upon theirs, and sit the hour, often in entire 
silence, worshiping. Though sometimes weighty utter- 
ances poured forth upon the reverent assemblage, for 
they had preachers of power among them, women as 
well as men, and at rare and fixed times traveling min- 
isters drawn to them, spoke as they received an unction 
from on high, wonderful words of insight in Scripture, 
spiritual condition, state of the meeting and individual 
heart, that admonished in tenderness, soothed, elevated 
and refreshed their waiting souls. ■ The children never 
cried there, never were otherwise than "good," for 
they, too, felt the influence of the hush. Some com- 
passionate sister- woman would softly lift the sleeping 
babe from its mother's lap ; when it waked, she, too, 
was refreshed. Older little ones sat by father or mother 
in the separate rooms, with partition down about the 
level of their heads. Once in a while a cracker, or a 
cookie, or piece of apple prepared beforehand, or rarer 
still, a drop of candy, some such thing, would be given 
a little one ; but it was no place for indulgence. Some- 
times they slept leaning against mother or sister or in 
father's arms ; but they early learned the meeting was 
not for that purpose, either. If there was ever a case 
of punishment for misbehavior, it has not come to the 
rose-colored pencil. We, cousins and friends, all know 
the sweet friendliness, the gentle ( present generation 
please take note !), hand-shaking after the meeting was 
over. No hurry, no loud noise or laugh, but kind 
inquiries of the absent, pleasant, comforting messages 
to the sick, cordial invitations to dinner given and 
accepted among kindred chiefly, especially on ist day. 
There was a reason for this, it was dinner time, and 



150 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

the way home from a mile or two to three or four. All 
were there in ist day suits, all clean, all happy, or so 
it always seemed, there was little sickness, no very old 
or infirm then among them, and so turning m to Uncle 
Nathan's — for it was on the way — with gates opened 
for them, and all waiting upon them, these nearest us, 
alighted. Rebecca, and Catherine, and Nixon, and 
Jeptha, and after a while, Sophia, and in another two 
years, Thomas, and so on, Joanna and Robert, and 
little Mary. Not all at once often, but in turn. What 
a flock, and how they grew ! And Patience's brood; 
ah, they lost their oldest ; what a blow was that ! Not 
only William, and Elizabeth, and Aseueth, but Joseph, 
and Mary Ann, and Margaret, and Uncle Jimmy's full 
quiver. How they ' ve all multiplied and grown ! There 
are never too many. "No," says Patience, "we had 
such a big turkey, I said if you did not all come, it 
could not be eaten." Or perhaps to Benoni's on mid- 
week day, or when they happen to be in town. They 
have a roast pig (always just the right age), and they 
must come, or it will never be eaten. Great dishes of 
choice beef, shoulders of mutton, pies ! vegetables, 
fruit, every wholesome, toothsome thing. The chil- 
dren are simply guided, not controlled. How can they 
need with such company? The elders talk comfort- 
ably. Some one has had a letter from " Old North," 
or some one is coming. Perhaps they have some rev- 
ered guest. There is no flattery. Everything a little 
more stately. The children a little more remote, after 
a greeting and some kind word to each young heart. 
Catherine and Elizabeth pace apart on the green. The 
boys are here and there. Sophia listens to the wise 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 151 

ones. Nixon, too, and where they are, some of their 
cousins as attendants or guests. 

The first table is soon ready. The children, " No, 
they shall all wait," says either careful mother, except 
a vacant place filled by one of the little ones who will 
not easily leave mother. The babes have been satis- 
fied, and are asleep, or off somewhere, the mothers 
know, well cared for, (they do eat a long time), but 
the children have had "a piece" — apples, nuts, and 
their time comes. All nicely arranged for them ; all in 
order, all pleasantly helped. How pleasant it all is. 
Too soon, the children think, they must go. If at 
Nathan's, Benoni can be ready in a twinkling. Yes, 
Rebecca thinks they "had better go. It has been 
pleasant. When will you come." And they do, when 
in town, generally, but it is easier for Benoni's to stop 
from meeting. There is no jealousy, no feeling of 
undue obligation. Their ways are different, in some 
respects. Uncle Nathan's house, Trueblood; Benoni's, 
Morris, but this constant intercourse is good for both 
families. And if Benoni is a little breezy for Nathan 
— too much so, Rebecca often thinks — or Nathan a 
little too quiet for Benoni, it is so good for Rebecca, 
and the children are so fond of each other, what could 
be better? So Nathan turns to Patience, and Benoni 
makes himself a mate with his own ; he has no more 
lonely hours afield. They learn to ride ; learn every- 
thing. Nixon, Jeptha are great helpers, and Thomas 
and Robert coming on ; now Catherine? Well, she is 
certainly a beautiful spinner, and how she sits a horse 
and .drives ! and everything she likes she does so 
easily and well. " My good child, Sophia," the mother 



152 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

says, and their school days have begun, and there is 
Salem, even now a considerable town, and yet to be ! 



The Morgan Raid. 

1863. 

Salem, Ind. 

This was a memorable summer at home. One beau- 
tiful morning early, there came a man in breathless 
haste, running at the top of his speed. "Oh, take 
these notes and bonds ! Hide them ! Hide them ! 
Morgan has crossed the river and will be in Salem in 
less than an hour ! We are trying to save what we 
can, and the bank will be the first place they will go ! " 
My mother handed my sister Maria one package, and I 
took the other. I hid mine under the carpet on the 
stairway. I do not know what she did with hers. We 
were all dazed with terror. We had just returned from 
preparing a bounteous lunch for our home guards, who 
were drilling in the public square. The lunch was 
nicely spread in the court house. What a feast it was 
for Morgan's men ! How they enjoyed their breakfast ! 
And our own home guards hungry all the day! It 
seemed a very short time until the winding roads of 
Salem were swarming with a mounted foe, armed to the 
teeth. Our beautiful flag was tied to a mule's tail and 
draggled in the dust. The dreadful news spread like 
wild-fire. The town was in a delirium of excitement 
and fear. One storekeeper had a new cistern which 
was dry. He saved his goods by throwing everything 
inside, and placing an empty dry goods box over the 
opening. When Morgan's men came to that store they 
found " For Rent" on the door, and retreated in dis- 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 153 

gust. At other places they made hasty havoc of what- 
ever they fancied. The finest silks they wound around 
their forms for sashes, neckties and hat bands ; but the 
humiliation and disgrace that our home guards were 
compelled to submit to was the worst of all. They 
were disarmed and paroled. The officers were placed 
upon mules or on the broken-down horses that they 
had brought, and tied bareheaded in the blistering sun, 
compelled to ride backwards. 

On and on came the ' ' wave of war ! ' ' There were 
about twenty-five hundred or three thousand at the 
most (some say five thousand) ; but the way they came 
into the town at one side and went through the square 
and came around again over the same road, made it 
seem as if the whole Southern army was pouring in 
upon us. They were only here about three hours (in 
the town), but said they were coming back at night to 
burn the town, and as proof of this they set fire to the 
railroad station, which burned to the ground. 

They having supplied themselves with our horses, 
swept over the fields like a whirlwind. It was in the 
midst of the wheat harvest — fences were thrown down, 
all our good horses were taken and their foaming, worn- 
out beasts left behind. They ordered us to get them 
something to eat — this we refused to do* — though 
some families w r ere afraid to resist as we did. We told 
them we had not taken a mouthful all day. Several 
shots were fired at our house. After that there came 
tearing through the house one of our own men in Fed- 
eral uniform : "A suit of clothes ! Oh, a suit of old 



* Mother gave bread in a bag they handed her ; said sim- 
ply, we had no " sweet cakes," when they asked for them. 



154 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

clothes; for heaven's sake, anything!" This was 
Captain Rodman. He had been paroled in Kentucky. 
Morgan recognized him and told him he would be shot. 
He was fleeing to the woods. How he managed to 
escape, no one knows, but he afterwards told us that 
he hid among the mullen stalks and juniper weeds at 
the foot of the garden. When the men were pursuing 
him, there was a little dog-, barking furiously, just 
within reach of him ; he seized the little brute and 
dashed it against a stone, and silenced that voice forever. 
This was all that saved him. About two o'clock the 
flying hordes shook the dust from their feet, and the 
lovely hills of Salem reverberated again to the sound 
of a retiring army. Oh, how dismal the tolling of the 
church bells all that afternoon and all night long! Not 
a soul undressed in our household. They did not re- 
turn, for Hobson was close upon their trail. The 
smouldering ruins of the railroad station and the whole- 
sale desolation of our beautiful fields was the terrible 
track of these warlike marauders — whom the Southern 
Army* scorned to call Confederates. 

(Mrs.) Annie R. Coffin (Morrison). 



* Yes, but their act was responsible for them. 



CHAPTER X. 



Benoni's Farm and Early Life in Salem — De- 
scription — House — Benoni — Family Life — 
School Books — Wit — Farm Improvement — 
Robert's and Dr. King's Letters. 



The farm purchased as we know for Benoni, by his 
brother-in-law, Nathan Trueblood, who had preceded 
him to Indiana, was on the west of Salem, county seat 
of Washington, and across a considerable branch of 
Blue River. It was very different from Nathan's, re- 
cently described. No outlook like that upon noble 
hills, but with wider sweeps of view. It had been 
selected for large cultivation, and was gently rolling in 
nearly every direction. It was, much earlier, exten- 
sively cleared. The prospects were wide instead of 
picturesque. Far off to the north bounded by dense 
woods, also to the west ; when a little towards the 
south, and then quite in front, the ground sloped 
smartly down to the spring lot. Everything was on a 
large, broad scale, but this, of course, showed better 
later, when Salem looked like a little city across the 
southeast, the undulating ground descending either way 
to the creek bottom. But for a long time woods skirted 
the intervening inclining plains. 

(Joseph Trueblood thought he had the letter of in- 
struction Benoni had written respecting the farm his 



156 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

father was to purchase for him, but could not find it dur- 
ing Sarah's Salem visit. It may come to light some day.) 

When the final two-story compact brick was 
built, it faced the east, with its front door opening in 
the middle into a hall from which the stairs ascended, 
with a little room above, and on either side, the girls' 
ample room, and the boys', also large, and two beds in 
each. Below was the parjor, at the left, and on the 
right, two rooms of half the size exactly, making long- 
ish rooms — sleeping apartments of grandma and grand- 
pa. Next, the large living room, and instead of an 
extension of the hall, the inevitable open Southern 
piazza, with the kitchen and dining room in one on the 
north. The garret was 'over the latter; the cellars 
under the parlor and hall. There was a smoke house 
back of the kitchen. The garden extended west from 
the yard. There was a Balm of Gilead tree near the 
entrance of the garden, and as stately Lombardy poplars 
on the north of the yard ; a mulberry tree in the north- 
east corner ; a delicious yellow plum in the southeast, 
and some evergreens, a cedar or two, Sarah remembers. 
In the spring lot was a beautiful round-topped maple, 
shading the walk half way down ; and off at one side, 
the farther east, giant oaks and hickory, giant tall. It 
was a long lot, running past yard and garden and de- 
scending from the back pasture and barn lot, irregular 
in shape on account of "the branch," as the little 
spring stream was called, which took its rise towards 
the west and deepened in the opening, or milk house, 
close by, and issued from beneath its thick walls, run- 
ning a pretty rivulet towards the east. The vineyard, 
discontinued in after later years, extended from the 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 157 

yard on the east far to the outlet of the farm, by a road 
or lane as it was called, to Salem. A long lane ran on 
the north, skirting it, and past the house yard, where 
a large gate led to the barn lot. On the other side of 
the lane were pasture grounds, and in rotation, crops, 
successively of corn, grass, clover, oats, wheat. There 
were fields, large ones, for all of these, extensive roll- 
ing ground over which the morning sun shone beau- 
teously, or the rainbow T or evening rays glorified. The 
views, from the upper east windows especially, were 
wide extended, and at either morning or evening, en- 
chanting ; while at night the whole visible starry ex- 
panse could be seen from different positions in the yard. 

In the lane near the north door of the sitting room 
was the carriage house, and nearly opposite the kitchen 
door the " shop," but later built. " Whose apprentice 
were you, Uncle Robert?" asked Sarah. I fear she 
said " Uncle Bob." " Bob. Morris'," was his reply. 

It should have been remarked before, there was an 
ample shed or roof with supports running the length of 
the house on the north, an open porch with brick 
pavement. There had been a loom room attached to 
the old kitchen, and then the loom in the large new 
kitchen, but it, as well as the grand fire-place, with its 
crane and appurtenances, had to make way in time for 
modern improvements, and the inevitable stove was 
introduced ; but the fire-place was kept open for a good 
while, and both were frequently in amicable joint oper- 
ation and service. The sitting room, as it was called, 
had its fire-place also, equally large, leaving a little 
passage-way between that and the kitchen on the side 
toward the piazza. On the other side in the kitchen 



158 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

was the sink ; in the sitting room the long clock. The 
kitchen was furnished with two large cupboards, be- 
sides in the modern one an ample pantry opening on 
the west. The piazza at the kitchen end had its well 
and cistern both under its cover. The sitting room 
contained Grandpa's secretary at the northeast corner ; 
another writing table, with books above, on the east ; 
a leaf table, for work, on the south, and two other 
small ones — one square, with a drawer, the other a 
round top, which could be let down. These were called 
"stands," and brought out generally at night for the 
candlestick to stand, more properly sit, upon. There 
were tiny fire-places in the bed rooms below stairs ; 
Sarah thinks no such provision up stairs. In the par- 
lor, a nice fire-place with a tall mantel piece, wooden, 
but painted to look like black veined marble. The 
carpet was a heavy Brussels, and there was a large 
velvet rug in front of the fire-place, representing a fruit 
basket with fruit and flowers, but the insterstices of 
the basket, or the representation of willow making the 
insterstices, looked to her childish eye like piano keys, 
at which she fingered in fantasy many the times. 

The parlor was furnished with the conventional 
black hair-cloth huge sofa and six (or was it twelve ? ) 
solemn, straight-backed chairs to match, set in precise 
order against the wainscot walls, while a lone rocking 
chair of the same description had its place near the 
center table, of course that in the exact center of the 
large square room. Brass andirons and candlesticks 
and snuffers in a similar dish adorned the fire-place and 
mantel piece. A magnificent pea-fowl feather duster 
hung by the side of the chimney, and a dainty hair 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 159 

broom, or long handled brush it might better be called, 
adorned the other side. Up stairs and in the bed rooms 
were bureaus and chests of cedar and cypress for clothes 
and bedding, a small mirror in each room, and a few 
chairs. There was a large long mirror in the parlor ; 
a few elegantly bound books on the center table, includ- 
ing the family Bible and some trifles. A large shell or 
two brought from afar, were at the door, and some ex- 
quisite ones adorned the mirror place. Sarah often put 
them to her ear and heard what ' ' the wild waves were 
saying." 

In all of these homes there was one thing the same, 
the Southern piazza. It was a memory of the dear 
home-land. In thought, those who had left it, saw 
where the " Virgin's bower is twined ; " the Southern 
jessamine, the Virginia creeper, the roses. As the fra- 
grant honeysuckle by the garden gate shed its sweets 
on the air, many the thoughts of those still there, and 
fervent petitions were whispered to heaven for their 
well-being, and for their sakes that of the " Old North 
State." 

Sir Walter Scott, in describing the valley of the 
clan of the McDonalds of Glencoe, says in Tales of a 
Grandfather, " The minds of men are formed by their 
habitations." The children of Benoni and Rebecca 
certainty had room for expansion of hardy bodies ; res- 
olute, liberal minds ; kind, generous hearts. 

The farm was a quarter section of arable land, vir- 
gin soil, susceptible of endless improvement, though 
then, i. e. in earliest times, chiefly wooded, and to 
which Benoni added from time to time until it com- 
prised many more acres. These were added to by 



160 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Robert, until as far as the eye could reach, and more, 
in most directions, was " Grandpa's farm." They also 
owned what was known as "The Oak Woods," con- 
taining a magnificent spring, which in later years Rob- 
ert deeded to the town of Salem for water works, a 
great boon, as the town had frequently suffered greatly 
from drouths before. 

Such was Benoni's farm, or such it came to be; 
though it was said when he first contemplated it, and 
compared it with the rich land of North Carolina, bor- 
dering upon the Sound, which his indefatigable enter- 
prising father — they said he ran to his work — and his 
six stout sons had brought to the pitch of cultivation, 
and when he considered what he must do single-handed 
and alone to eke out a scanty existence — they do say 
he said the soil was " no thicker than a bull's hide " — 
and sat down, covering his face with his hands, and 
wept. But his decision had been made ; he was not a 
man to go back upon his own convictions. If he had 
an hour of reaction, of weakness, after his journey, 
when he had necessarily had every faculty on the alert, 
it passed. His family were here. It was for them, in 
great measure, he had made the sacrifice. They had 
been delivered from a deadly snare and temptation. 
They had been protected on their eventful journey. 
His dear wife and three little children were sheltered 
under the roof of her loved brother, only a few miles 
away, while he prepared a home. This was for only a 
very little while. Sped to them on his fleet horse, he 
rested with them there a few Sabbaths. He was well, 
he was stout, he was resolute. He knew. He had 
been trained to early rising, and all vigorous, thrifty 






OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 161 

habits, and was now fast becoming inured to hardship. 
Rebecca was not behind him in endurance, and beyond 
him in economy. He had the fear of God before his 
eyes. He was of a happy, jovial temperament, and 
now for it ! 

Soon a place was sufficiently cleared for a good 
though temporary dwelling, while preparations were 
pushed forward from time to time for the substantial 
two-story brick structure described, and it was not long 
before he had — who can tell the acres cleared ? The 
house, yard, the garden, with its great asparagus bed 
on one side ; the vineyard, the pasture, the barn and 
lot, the orchard, with its rare and bounteous supply of 
apples back of the barn, and the peach orchard later, on 
still rising ground farther on, unknown, all well under 
way, and the fruits of his persevering, well-planned, 
heaven-blessed labors coming into his hand. 

How else Benoni, had his single arm accomplished 
so much in so short a time ? For except for the farm- 
er's extra occasions, as " killing," harvest "raising," 
he had had little help until his own boys were large 
enough to be of substantial assistance. He drew a 
long breath in wonder at his own past since coming. 
How had he endured ? Unutterable had been his long- 
ings for dear " Old North," as they affectionately called 
North Carolina, for his dear loved father, those com- 
rade brothers, full of life and spirit. What an inexhaust- 
ible fount of youth he must have had within, to have 
borne up as he had ! There were times, none but God 
knew of the furtive tear that dropped on his working 
clothes. The involuntary sigh, nay sod, for the familiar 
tones he might never again hear. Many the ejacula- 



162 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

tory appeals to heaven for help, for consolation, for 
light, for cheer. Sometimes — not often — his sturdy 
frame would suddenly droop, his strong arm falter, and 
he bowed his head on his sleeve, and felt the burden 
bear him down. But his wife was no laggard. At the 
thought of her and the carefully kept home and well 
ordered meals, and all her wholesome, thrifty ways, of 
their precious prattlers, he would give a short laugh, 
toss his dejected head back, seize his dropped tool, 
plow handle, rein, or what it might be; happiness had 
returned to his manly breast. It was for them. They 
were his ; he had been richly repaid all along. 
" Benoni, be a man ! " 

His rules of life were simple, well thought out, and 
adhered to, though there was no rigidity in his system, 
and he was ever cheerful, generous, just and kind. 
He kept strict and clear accounts ; did not go in debt ; 
worked his day's task ; took his regular times for rest; 
kept a diary ; kept a record of the weather —the ther- 
mometer hung on a nail in one of the posts of the north 
side big porch ; read history, or something equally 
improving, by bits every day ; took the organ of 
Friends as soon as it was published, from Philadelphia; 
the town paper, when it began; sought the companion- 
ship of the worthy, the intelligent, the influential ; 
conversed freely with his family ; read reverently a 
portion of Scripture with them aloud every evening 
before retiring, and with bowed head they engaged in 
solemn, silent worship. 

They sat in the same manner at every meal before 
beginning to eat. Nothing was done hurriedly, or in 
a disorderly manner ; Rebecca would not have permit- 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 163 

ted it. They ate heartily of excellent, substantial food, 
but there was no gluttony among them, and though 
such workers, none of them were great meat-eaters or 
overly fond of coffee. Tea was scarcely used among 
them. Cider they had in apple time and in winter, 
and wine and other spirits in rare cases of sickness. 
Rebecca had a case of choice liquors, with elegant bot- 
tles, cut glass and gilt, but it never appeared before the 
children ; was reserved for great guests on great occa- 
sions, for infirmities and for accidents, supposedly, for 
Sarah never once saw any poured out. 

They went to "meeting" regularly, three miles, 
then more when it was beyond Uncle Nathan's — not 
only on First-day, but to the mid-week meetings, though 
the field was left with the plow — not the horse — 
standing in the furrow. Whoever belonged to the 
family went ; Rebecca, children, baby, whenever it 
was practicable. Rebecca was more zealous, stricter, 
of more frugal habit than Benoni, and kept things in 
doors well in place, reared her children most carefully 
in habits of industry, neatness, order, regularity and 
decorum ; was a very Orthodox Friend indeed, as was 
greater need than in North Carolina, which has never 
had any trouble with differences in belief. 

There was a little old brick school house on the 
other side of Salem, first taught by Patrick — not an 
Irishman, I believe — who was a printer and editor, a 
local preacher — Methodist, possibly — and an assist- 
ant Judge, perhaps not all at once. He must have 
been an influential character of considerable ability and 
education, of probity, too, Sarah has heard. After 
awhile a young man who had not succeeded at Walnut 



164 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Ridge, but it was thought not his fault, was engaged, 
not as a rival to Patrick, but in the new Co. Seminary. 
Patrick performed an important service for him later in 
life. He was about 19 then, but was thought to have 
prodigious learning. It will not do to take up the re- 
maining portion of this chapter with him. His name 
will occur frequently later. 

As each child, girl as well as boy, became old 
enough, Benoni gave it a colt, which the little owner 
cared for and trained under the father's judicious super- 
vision. Several of them became fine riders and drivers, 
Catherine notably so, holding the reins in that skilled 
manner showing the accomplished horsewoman. Jep- 
tha was a famous one about horses. A Jehu, when he 
became a young man, who would allow nothing on the 
road to pass him. But the children could hardly think 
of taking horse to school, a short distance for farmers' 
children. It was safer and better to walk. The way 
to school in Salem must have taxed not only shoes, but 
patience, perseverence and ingenuity, for it was two 
miles and more over quite an extent of more or less 
unbroken country, with a stream to cross which became 
formidable in times of a freshet ; sometimes with the 
log gone upon which they usually crossed, sometimes 
with the bridge, too, swept away, farther down ; but 
the ever vigilant father and careful mother were equal 
to whatever emergency arose. And Catherine said in 
case of sudden showers or snow, her ever thoughtful, 
kind father, would be at the school house with some 
kind of vehicle, perhaps with his empty wood wagon, 
ready to carry a more precious load full of girls and 
boys. Her Sabbath school teacher, for it seems she 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 165 

was permitted to go into town for that, was a lovely, 
gentle lady, though frail, whom the young school- 
master had married, and who died within a year. This 
is, however, anticipating, for it was after Catherine 
started at West Town. Maria Morrison's husband, for 
that was her name, placed a broad marble, or some sort 
of stone slab, bearing in lettering, plain yet after an 
interval of seventy years, "A Christian;" but what 
tears he shed, or sighs he breathed, or loneliness he 
felt, who is there to tell? 

Catherine bloomed into beauteous womanhood, her 
father's joy and pride. Her brothers, Nixon and Jep- 
tha, as different in temperament and chosen pursuits 
as Jacob and Esau of old, regarded accordingly by 
father and mother, were getting to be almost young 
men. Sophia was already a good student, as well as 
her mother's trusted ally in domestic affairs. Thomas 
and Robert were sturdy boys, Joanna a sprightly little 
girl, nearly all going to school, except the little Mary, 
who wanted four apples, they wrote to Catherine, away 
in another year, when she was four years old. They 
had been wonderfully preserved and prospered. Health 
and plenty had smiled. The father and mother were 
still young and hearty. They had valued friends, not 
only among the Quaker connection at and near Canton, 
a little village, more than a mile beyond Uncle Nathan's 
and the meeting house ; but in town, among whom 
were the Parkes, the Newbys, and Booths, and Brad- 
leys, and Campbells, and Lyons ; merchants, doctors, 
large factory and mill owners, and judges, and lawyers, 
and substantial cabinet-makers and other tradesmen 
who flourished, and were respected according to their 



166 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

degree and merits. What was there to do but to con- 
tinue as they were, and have their children wed in due 
time and make homes of their own, and emulate the 
virtues of those who had risked and endured, that they 
might enjoy? 

Uncle Robert's Letter. 

' ' We now have but little conception of the incon- 
venience the first settlers had to encounter. Getting 
grinding done and lumber sawed, and salt for the table, 
stock and meats, were some of the hard, difficult things. 
Think of going to mill and taking your turn, using 
your own team hitched to a long pole, together with 
the miller's team, pulling around for a long time, you 
doing the driving, and slow grinding at that, which 
has given cause for many sayings. A boy said to the 
miller, ' I can eat that meal faster than you can grind 
it.' 'Yes,' says the miller, ' How long can you hold 
out at that? ' The boy said, ' Until I starve to death.' 
'Twas said that a grist-mill, situated near our front 
gate, run by water conducted by race on overshot 
wheel, as soon as it would get done grinding one grain 
(grist?) 'twould hop right on to another ; and a saw- 
mill in the neighborhood would go up one day and 
come down the next. Right here, allow me to digress 
a little ; what we called the Institute that your Father 
built (I think about '34), the timber was sawed with 
what was called a whip-saw. The log was placed on 
a frame, one man above and one underneath, thus 
pulling the saw up and down. I just can remember 
seeing it done. By the way, that building is remod- 
eled, and ground graded down to bottom of pavement 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 167 

on south side, a flat roof, and the house painted a stone 
or slate color. It is wonderfully improved." 

Besides the inconvenience of milling, Uncle Robert 
mentioned during the Salem visit that salt had to be 
brought on horseback from New Albany. Of his fa- 
ther's fertility of expedients, he said : " He made him- 
self the first horse hay-rake I ever saw. He would 
rake till it came to the full, then stop the horse, raise it 
up and drop it on the windrow," [whatever that is, 
says Ignorance] , ' ' and then start again. ' ' In the same 
connection Robert told of their ' ' gathering corn in the 
field, he 60, I 20. ' How long before I will be twice as 
old as thee ? ' " Robert said he studied awhile and reck- 
oned it. " ' I said in twenty years he would be 80, I 40.' 
' At that rate how long before we would be of the same 
age?' " 

Thus he amused while he sharpened the wits of his 
children. 

Sarah intended to have a list of his books. The 
Bible he placed first, of which he was a diligent, 
thoughtful, reverent reader. There were two Family 
ones : The large embossed one, kept on the parlor 
center table, used upon special occasions on 1st day and 
by guests, though there was no prohibition upon turn- 
ing it over and looking at the pictures or reading, it 
had in it the Family Record ; and a convenient sized one 
for daily family use, with strong leather binding, be- 
sides a New Testament containing at the back the 
Psalms, all in large plain print. Another book in 
which he read a great deal, probably knew most of it, 
was Elements of History, price $2.25, his name, Benoni 
Morris, 1833. There was a flower drawn on the same 



168 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

page below the name, a tulip, small size, presumably 
by Catherine. He bought sparingly, judiciously, well 
selected volumes, frequently at sales, and made their 
principal contents his own. Famous Salem names ap- 
pear in some of them as owners from whom they had 
come to him. 

O, Rose-colored Pencil, how you, the holder thereof, 
have drawn on your own resources. Here comes a let- 
ter from Dr. King, of California, who lived in Salem 
before you had an existence, corroborating the oft-told 
tale of Grandpa's weeping when he saw his poor land. 
Did you forget? Arable land, indeed ! Yes, made so 
stupid, read the letter, and know history must be 
reliable. 

11 1 am glad you are writing up your mother's side 
of the house. My remembrances of Benoni Morris are 
very pleasant. I recollect his purchase of the old home 
place on the long eastern slope, west of 'the creek,' 
the west fork of Blue River. It was considered the 
most improvident speculation he could have made. But, 
like Michael Angelo's rough block of marble, he 'saw 
an angel in it.' With four sturdy, industrious boys, 
and his own hand and practical head to direct, ' the 
wilderness was made to blossom as the rose.' In less 
than five years that quarter section, by an almost in- 
comprehensible process of evolution, was changed from 
the poorest and most unproductive farm in the vicinity 
of Salem, into one of remarkable fertility and produc- 
tiveness. Nixon, Jeptha and Thomas were the reliance 
for routine work on the farm, while Bob engineered 
his bovine chariot (ox cart) regularly between the farm 
and town, transporting all manner of fertilizers from 



OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 169 

the barn yards and stables and the old ' ashery ' in 
town to the broad fields at home. But Benoni Morris 
did not neglect the cultivation of the minds of his 
children any more than of his productive acres of land, 
they all enjoyed all the educational advantages afforded 
at the Washington County Seminary, and some of them 
the facilities of a higher education " — [all who would, 
Sarah]. "By his wise and judicious treatment of his 
land, rotation of crops, persistent fertilizing and clover- 
ing, he probably did more to revolutionize and improve 
agricultural methods in that country than all his con- 
temporaries combined. He was to agriculture what 
Jno. J. Morrison, 'The Little School- Master,' was to 
education. 

4 ' One of my ambitions is to once more greet my old 
and dearest friend, Robt. Morris, before I ' shuffle off 
this mortal coil.' He is, I think, the biggest-hearted 
boy I ever knew." With which Sarah cordially agrees, 
and thus ends the chapter and this volume. 

Cousins all, A Merry Christmas and Happy New 
Years ! 



Final Notes and Explanations. 

What has been furnished by Eli Morris is later 
information and inserted. Burke's Landed Gentry is 
printed by "Harrison, Publisher to the Queen, Pell 
Mell, London." 

John, Uncle Nathan's and Aunt Patience's oldest 
son, was early killed by a runaway horse. 



170 OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Clarkie (or -ey) Morris, d. of Joshua and Hannah, m. 
William Pool. The record is, ' ' This couple changed 
their minds and married out of meeting." Daring 
deed in those days. 

Sarah has a more complete list of dates respecting 
Grandpa's brothers and sisters, but cannot very well, 
at this time, add to what has been already given. 

She will be obliged to anyone who will kindly 
notify her of errors in the book . 






ADDENDA. 



Agonies of Proof Reading. 

Printer, Printer! Thou 'rt not a machine 

But a sensible lad, so print what I mean. 

And if I should write what 's not very clear, 

Please straighten it out — Editorial Dear ! 

Not that I '11 suffer a change in my say, 

No! not a word, but point me the way, 

Yet change not a " point," on peril of your life ! 

For sure as you do betwixt us there's strife. 

To gently show me what you think would be best, 

And I to joyfully do all the rest, — 

Could Writers and Printers thus sweetly agree, 

What writing and printing galoriously ! 

Respectfully, 

S. P. M. 



{Sotto Voce: 



But the fat's. in the fire 
If we can 't win the buyer 
To like us nilly willy 
Whether wise or silly, 

If he won 't — call him a 1— r ! 



ii OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Please append the following : 

Preface, p. 4. The writer — gives — change in per- 
son from — I — give. 

p. 10. Omit — in another place it (says), and in- 
sert — The Revised Version says ' ' of one ' ' ( ' ' blood " ) , 
omitted, (man) understood. Also p. 10 — remain^. 

p. 13. —84. 

p. 23. Strike out — by permission of, and write — 
extracted by EH Morris from, etc., and add — Morris- 
son-Reeves Library, Richmond, Ind. " Mare or z." 

(Motto over Morris' Arms.) Translated by Mrs. 

Elizabeth A. Mills, of Knightstown, Ind. 

Gwell Angau na chitydd. 
Better Death than Shame. 

p. 40. leadership (printer!) 

p. 51. Edwin M. Stanton is the name referred to 
in Note. 

p. 54. Rebecca b. 1787. 

p. 56. (See p. 99.) 

p. 67. Rebecca's marriage on the z^th. 

p. 67. Omit before — 20, — and before — 16. 

p. 72. Omit — perhaps by a second marriage. 

p. 73. Omit." Betsey," and insert " Mary A.(?)" 
Also p. 75. Omit "Betsey," and insert "Mary A.(?)" 

p. 75. Omit 2d — between two — and — sons. 

p. 82. portentously (no i — printer ! Oh, printer!) 

p. 88. — and died 1772. 

p. 97. Mother Mary was — insert — not yet — gone. 

p. 99. " emigration." (Annals generally immi- 
gration. Rather mixed — see Webster.) 

p. 114. forming lakes (printer!) 

p. 135. hint of nature (printer!) 



/ 
/ 

OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA iii 

p. 144. after Rebecca M. insert — besides their 
own children they raised two grandchildren, Alice T. 
Overman and James Griffen Trueblood. 

p. 147. Box 824. Did S. make a mistake here? 



Grandpa's grandfather Joshua was married four 
times. The first child had the singular name, ' ' Orison. ' ' 
Another singular name, " Demaris Morrison, was the 
2d wife of Henry White, 1615." Their 2d child was 
also so named. "Married John Symons," the date, 
" 6-8-1700." 85 years probably refers to her death (?) 
But where did the " Morrison " come from ? 

Grandpa's 2d brother was married twice. " 1st, 
Tamer Overman. 2d, Mary Pool." 

Mary, Grandpa's 1st sister, married "7-16-1795, 
Cyphian Shepherd, son of John." 

The children of Mordicai, Jr., and Martha Winslow, 
d. John aud Rachel White, were : 

Susanna, 8-18-1809 — 8- 14-1833, m. John T.White 
2-21-1829. His 2d wife was Hannah Parker, 
d. Benj. and Grace. 

Abigail, 6-21-1812 — 18 — . 

John Winslow, 8-11-1S16 — 12-11-1835. 

Benoni's "married life was 60 years to a day." 
John T. White authority (old paper upon which S. took 
it down from his mouth). 

Anderson, m. Mary Toms, d. John and Mary An- 
derson, 12-1-1812. 



Time taken to thoroughly mark the pages for these 
references will make them not in vain. 



iv OUT OF NORTH CAROLINA 

Alice's Valentine. 

Dear little girl 
With hair in curl 

On special Sundays, 
O, may your heart, 
Be just as smart 

When come " blue Mondays ! " 
And mirror clear 
Your mind, no fear 

Tho' fortune lower ; 
Your soul a pearl, 
Tho' round you whirl 

The world, — b u t you -a flower ! 
Feb. 14, 1902. aj /Zvy^eL jlcn^^L 




\ 



ID &4 



LbAp'13 



4> ** 




V4' 




^ 



« / i 









^ v *<* 




* * o. 








r oK 




G v 






*» r ft Si • y-. 




• ,* V % 








^0 




' >v A v r 















O 'o . » * A 



< 









<0 





<4 



J-c, 







*o 



o *o . t " A 










°o 



W 'III', ^v" nS&K^*. W 





^^n 



e 














> c • • - '^-v ^N> u * - r V i • 





"ffiKfffi-,,. ^V * V, V ^^ 

, <ST^UGUST. NE t'^/ J> -°J^V ^ 

?• ^§^32084 





.» ^ ^. 




